My guest today on The Expressive Mom Show is Michelle Blais. Michelle is an experienced elementary school teacher with a background in psychology, has spent over 17 years guiding children in grades 1-5.

Her mission is to build confidence and resilience in kids by promoting a growth mindset, using techniques she’s applied to her own life as a "recovering perfectionist." Michelle now focuses on teaching parents these strategies, believing they are key to nurturing lasting mindset changes in their children.

The Harsh Realities of Perfectionism
Perfectionism can negatively impact both children and parents. For children, striving for perfection often arises from a fear of failure or of disappointing others, particularly when they perceive high expectations from their parents.

This can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, and a fear of making mistakes, causing them to avoid challenges and stifling their growth and creativity.
Parents, meanwhile, may feel pressure to raise "perfect" children, linking their child’s success to their own worth. This often results in setting unrealistic standards for themselves and their kids, leading to stress, guilt, and strained relationships.

Over-controlling behaviors can emerge, creating an environment where children feel emotionally restricted. Fostering open communication and prioritizing effort over perfection can help break this harmful cycle.
Encouraging effort over perfection, celebrating mistakes as learning opportunities, and fostering open communication can help break the cycle and create a healthier, more supportive environment for children and parents alike.

Connect with Michelle on IG: ⁠ @misschellemindset⁠ and her LinkTree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/misschellemindset⁠.
Now you have it, and that is a wrap. Next week, I will be chatting with a guest who supports parents raising boys in their efforts to understand their sons and the world they live in more clearly, which can lead to deeper connections and communication.

In the meantime, head over to the Expressive Mom website at https://expressivemom.com, on Instagram at anexpressivemom, and on Substack, https://expressivemom.substack.com. Follow The Expressive Mom Show. You can also find me at medium.com at msmir.medium.com. In the meantime, chat next week and ciao for now.