My five year old daughter burst into tears as we were reading her bedtime story.

She was due to start kindergarten in the fall, and the book she chose, Countdown to Kindergarten, brought up a tender worry: "Mommy", she said, "what if I’m not the best in kindergarten?"

As a girl, I was taught to try to be the best at everything so that I could get the best grades, open up the best opportunities, and go to the best college. As a first generation college student, I can understand why my parents instilled this mindset within me.

But as a woman who has had to do a lot of un-learning about perfection over the years, I was alarmed to hear this worry coming up for Avery at such a young age.