Letting Go of Perfect: Helping My Son—and Myself—Learn to Lose Gracefully

When my six-year-old son began melting down over every loss—from classroom contests to board games—I realized his struggle wasn’t just about winning. It was about perfection, and the fear of not being “enough” without it. In the process of helping him understand that losing is part of growing, I uncovered my own lessons about grace, resilience, and the beauty of imperfection. Join us on a journey that involves big feelings, unlikely wisdom from gorillas, and the quiet power of trying again.