What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough: The Real Deal on Perfectionism: A Guide for Kids [Paperback]

Thomas S. Greenspon Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2007 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: What to Do When

Perfectionism may seem like a worthy goal, but it’s actually a burden. When you believe you must be perfect, you live in constant fear of making mistakes. Most children don’t know what perfectionism is, yet many suffer from it. Nothing they do is ever good enough. School assignments are hard to start or hand in. Relationships are challenging, and self-esteem is low. Written to and for ages 9–13, this book helps kids understand how perfectionism hurts them and how to free themselves. Includes true-to-life vignettes, exercises, and a note to grown-ups.

Editorial Reviews

Review

ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards Finalist

About the Author

Thomas S. Greenspon, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice. He earned his B.A. from Yale and his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Illinois. Tom lectures and writes on a variety of topics including perfectionism and the emotional needs of gifted children and adults.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575422344
• ISBN-13: 978-1575422343
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Child Psychology > Psychology
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Adolescent Psychology
  • #35 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Science > General

More About the Author

Thomas S. Greenspon, Ph.D., LP, LMFT
P.O. Box 16325, Minneapolis, MN 55416-0325 952.929.1499
[e-mail]

Tom Greenspon is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, in private practice in Minneapolis. He earned a B.A. from Yale and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Illinois in 1968. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester, NY, he joined the faculty of the Medical Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where he was involved in teaching, research, and counseling until moving to the Twin Cities in 1977. Tom lectures and writes on a variety of topics, including couples' and family relationships, and the emotional needs of gifted children and adults. He is a member of several professional organizations, he has authored a monograph on adolescent-adult relationships for the Unitarian Universalist Association, entitled Human Connections, and a number of his articles have appeared in professional journals. His first book, Freeing Our Families From Perfectionism, has won the National Parenting Publications Gold Award and a Parents' Choice Award.
Tom is married to Barbara C. Greenspon, M.A., his partner in the private practice of psychotherapy with individuals, couples, and families. Over the years, they co-founded the Childbirth Education Association of Greater Birmingham, they were advisors to Unitarian Universalist youth groups on local and national levels, and they have co-taught courses on human sexuality. Both are certified as sexuality therapists and educators, and they are charter members of the North American Menopause Society. Tom was co-chair of the 2003 annual meeting of the American Psychological Association Division of Psychoanalysis and has served on the Board of that Division's Section on Couples and Families.
Tom and Barbara are former co-presidents of the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented and served on the Minnesota State Advisory Committee for Gifted. They are former program psychological consultants for the Concordia Language Villages. Tom is the recipient of the 1998 Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented Award for Distinguished Service to Gifted Individuals.


RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Greenspon, T.S. (2008). Making sense of error: A view of the origins and treatment of perfectionism. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 62, (3), 263-282.
---- (2007). Some further thoughts on perfectionism. Parenting for High Potential. December. 16-17.
---- (2007). Desire, vulnerability, and interweaving worlds of experience: An intersubjective systems sensibility in couples' therapy. Group, 31 (3), 153-170.
---- (2007) What to do when "good enough" isn't good enough: The real deal on perfectionism. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing.
---- (2006) Test phobia, depression, and a core identity of giftedness: Jason's story. Counseling and Guidance Division Newsletter,2, (1) 1-2, National Association for Gifted Children.
---- (2006) Getting beyond perfectionism. Gifted Education Communicator, 37, (1), 30-33.
---- (2004). Being me and fitting in: The dilemma of giftedness. Duke Gifted Letter 4, (3) 1-2.
---- (2002) Freeing Our Families From Perfectionism. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing.
---- (2000). Perfectionism: An Intersubjective View. Psa Today 3 (4) Psychoanalytic Foundation of Minnesota.
---- (2000). "Healthy perfectionism" is an oxymoron! Reflections on the psychology of perfectionism and the sociology of science. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, XI, 197-208.
---- (2000). The self experience of the gifted person: theory and definitions.
Roeper Review, 22, 176-181.
---- (1998). The gifted self: Its role in development and emotional health. Roeper Review, 20, 162-167
Plucker, J.A., Robinson, N.M., Greenspon, T.S., Feldhusen, J.F., McCoach, D.B., and Subotnik, R.F. (2004). Its not how the pond makes you feel, but rather how high you can jump. American Psychologist, 59, (4), 268-269.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful, practical, down-to-earth guide, June 10, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough: The Real Deal on Perfectionism: A Guide for Kids (Paperback)

Written by licensed psychologist and family & marriage therapist Thomas S. Greenspon, Ph.D., What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough: The Real Deal on Perfectionism is a guide written especially for young people, preteens and teenagers about what perfectionism is and learning how to deal with it. What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough emphasizes that perfectionism isn't just wanting to do well - it's an obsessive fear of performing less-than-perfect in any way, and is always harmful. Perfectionism can and often does interfere with the necessary hard work and learning process involved in undertaking any task; for example, a perfectionist might obsessively worry about a book report so much that he or she turns it in late (or not at all!) because too much time was wasted trying to write it perfectly. A thoughtful, practical, down-to-earth guide, enthusiastically recommended for grade and high school library shelves.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, May 14, 2010

By 

Faramir - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough: The Real Deal on Perfectionism: A Guide for Kids (Paperback)

People always assume perfectionism is a good thing but taken to the extreme, it can be paralyzing. I like to have children's books that deal with emotional issues available for my kids to pick up on our home book shelf. When we first got this book, I read it with them and we used it to initiate conversations on the topic. For one thing, it helped my kids get perspective on their feelings. But I've seen them pick this book up to read on their own, even after we went through it. Even if my kids don't feel like talking to me- they can still get good advice on how to deal with their feelings. We have a good relationship, but I think all kids get tired of hearing advice from their parents. Some times when I try to talk to them about serious issues, it probably feels like a lecture. Books are less threatening. I have a few in this series and they are all good.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much excellence in such a little package, June 9, 2010

By 

Paulo C. Rios Jr. (Europe) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough: The Real Deal on Perfectionism: A Guide for Kids (Paperback)

This entertaining, very well designed and printed little book is a piece of art. Its message is powerful yet so fun to read. One could hardly ask for more. It is both insightful and enlightening.

Perfectionism is an insidious thing that can take so much from us, not only many lost opportunities but also the pleasure to live life to its fullest. Starting with the identification of the problem, the author explores its manifestations and how one can deal with them in a pragmatic way. All in a very readable language where the main points are never lost. The graphics also provide many visual clues.

Both adults and teenagers can benefit from this book. Teenagers will have the unique opportunity to discover a problem when its solution is most readily available. Adults may be surprised to want to keep their own copy of this book. Yet you could simply not expect less. It is an outstanding book in content, form and delivery.