Perfectionism in children doesn’t always look like straight A’s and gold stars. Sometimes it’s a preschooler ripping up art over a crooked line. Sometimes it’s a middle schooler hiding unfinished homework because they’re afraid of being “found out.” And sometimes it’s a teen who can’t post a photo without editing it into oblivion.

We are breaking down the three perfectionist types, how temperament, neurodivergence, and cultural norms shape them, and why the wrong kind of praise or pressure can cement the problem.