Once Upon an Adventure
A pocket podcast where families pause the busy world and step into stories together. Every fortnight we share one theme, two books, and one simple way to connect - because the feelings we carry as adults, kids carry too.
Once Upon an Adventure
Episode 3: Perfectionism & Why 'Perfect' Isn’t the Goal
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
TRIGGER WARNING: MISCARRIAGE
In this episode of Once Upon an Adventure, we explore a feeling that touches children and adults alike: the pressure to be perfect. Through two very different books, we look at how perfectionism shapes the way we learn, love, and see ourselves.
On the children’s shelf, we discuss The Perfect Percival Priggs by Julie Anne Graham a warm and funny picture book about a boy who believes he must excel at everything. When his parents reveal their own mistakes, Percival discovers that failure is part of growth, not the opposite of it.
For adults, we turn to All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover, a moving and honest novel about marriage, grief, and the quiet weight of expectations. It explores what happens when the life you imagined meets the life you actually have, and how letting go of “perfect” can make space for something real.
Together, these books remind us that perfection often isolates us, while honesty and vulnerability bring us back to connection. We finish with a simple family challenge that encourages creativity without correction, and an invitation to rethink what “perfect” really means in your home.
Find the books mentioned in this episode
Most titles referenced are listed on our affiliate bookshop that supports independent and local sellers.
Visit our linktree for more information: https://linktr.ee/onceuponapod_