Perfectly Imperfect Tee

Self-acceptance is accepting all of your positive and negative personal attributes. Without self-acceptance, you might be more likely to experience more feelings of shame, self-judgment, and negative self-talk. I intentionally created this tee with smileys that aren’t perfect and that are all shapes and sizes with the words “perfectly imperfect.” Being perfectly imperfect is acknowledging that we all have flaws and will make mistakes, and that these mistakes and flaws do not define us and that we still have positive attributes despite our faults. All humans have faults in some form. Some of us procrastinate a lot, some of us are forgetful, and some of us struggle with communication. Our flaws do not define who we are as a person and thinking of ourselves as perfectly imperfect adds positivity to all the flaws that we do have. You are so much more than your mistakes.

How to talk to kids about self-acceptance:

*Normalize making mistakes. After they have made a mistake, discuss with them that they are loved and accepted despite the mistake that they’ve made.

You can model self-forgiveness to your child by showing them forgiveness when they act out or do something they weren’t supposed to do. Remind them that even though certain behaviors may not be appropriate, you still love them and know that they’re learning. Teaching your child how to forgive themselves doesn’t mean you’re encouraging bad decisions. It means that you’re showing them how to free themselves from feeling bad about mistakes.

*Help your child to identify the positive qualities about themselves.

*Reinforce positive self-talk and utilize affirmations to help with self-compassion. You can remind your child that their only job is to be the best version of themselves, rather than trying to be better than someone else. This can be done by helping them make comparisons to their past selves instead of friends and peers. Example: Instead of saying “Wow! You scored more goals than John!” after a game say “Wow! Your soccer skills are getting better with each game!”