I can relate to how you feel. I have a 10 year old that is suffering from the same. Except his anxiety appears every friday for his review tests. He worries about the test and then will emotionally beat himself up for getting as little as one answer wrong. He is in the top 93% of the Irish nation in Math and English and when he heard this he was extremely upset for missing those other 7%. I have not put any emphasis on grades, no reward system or punishment and yet he feels he has failed with anything less than 100%.

Your message actually lifted my heart a bit to hear that this occurs with other bright kids because we also have the additional issue of having had active alcoholism in the family. Once we involved counselors and social workers they refuse to see my sons anxiety as anything but a reaction to his exposure to his fathers drinking. However, I also have a daughter and she is responding so positively to my husbands recovery efforts that I no longer am convinced of this one issue being the sole cause of his anxiety.

As for your part in all this, I will pass on what others have shared with me. There should be no guilt if things do turn out to be hereditary - especially if you are doing your best to get the appropriate resources in place. And it does sound as if you are giving your all to your child and this issue so don't knock yourself about. Keep up the good efforts and push for what you feel your child needs.