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By Mary Ann Raj

Many parents want their kids to excel academically and also in other extracurricular activities. High expectations on grades are placed on their children and there are some parents who use their kids as “trophies” to boast to their friends. 

When dates of exams are near, students with strict parents would experience anxiety as they are afraid to again experience beatings or punishments if they fail to get good grades. Academic success in many Asian countries are highly looked upon and students are told that it will guarantee a bright future. 

Although many parents’ have noble intentions in wanting to watch their children succeed in life, some kids would have the wrong impression that grades would determine their self-worth. Hence, some students would even take their own lives when they fail to answer an exam question or fail to get a good grade for a certain subject. 

As such, it is vital for parents and teachers to motivate kids to study but not pressure them. It is also important that parents allow their kids to explore other areas of interests to figure out what they want to be or do in life. When a child is passionate and interested in something, he or she would be able to work hard and excel in it. 

When a child is stressed due to academic pressure, their performance would worsen. Parents who excelled academically shouldn’t set high expectations on their children either as not everybody has similar cognitive abilities and interests.