The Atlantic She’s always been a perfectionist—but in the pandemic, this tendency has gotten worse. Elena Xausa Editor’s Note: Every Tuesday, Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer take questions from readers about their kids’ education. Have one? Email them at [email protected]. Dear Abby and Brian, My daughter, whom I’ll call Laura, is in seventh grade and has always been a perfectionist, especially when it comes to her schoolwork. But everything has been far worse this past year, while she’s been in “hybrid” school (a combination of both remote and in person). She studies for hours on end for every test, and writes pages more than the teacher asks for. We’ve always been proud of her hard work, but my husband and I are growing worried. Of course we love that she thrives as a student, but now she can’t deal with anything less than perfect. She was inconsolable when she got a B on a math test recently. We told her not to worry and that she would do better next time. But we are at a total loss as to how to help. Is there anything we can do?