"An analysis of numerous studies shows that grade-centric approaches are not always beneficial for young people's mental health and do not yield the expected benefits. Understanding, encouragement, and support, rather than asserting too much pressure, become the cornerstone of healthy youth development. A child with their parents' support is more likely to grow into a resilient, confident, motivated, and secure adult. On the contrary, emotionally unsupported children are likely to remain mentally fragile and underachieving."
"Academic pressure may seem like a useful motivator. Parents and educators may feel that pushing students to work harder will help guarantee higher performance. However, this impacts the child's mental health and often leads to lower academic performance. A growing body of research literature supports the conclusion that the causal relationship is not what it is often perceived to be. High academic pressure is consistently associated with worsening mental well-being and is a stronger predictor of anxiety, depression, and burnout in adolescents than almost any other factor."
Many parents equate intense academic pressure with love and future success, driving children toward high-stakes grade attainment. Evidence shows grade-centered strategies often harm adolescent mental health and fail to produce the expected benefits. Excessive pressure correlates with increased anxiety, depression, burnout, and reduced academic performance. Conditional regard leads children to derive self-worth from outcomes, producing fear of failure and fragile emotional development. Consistent emotional support, encouragement, and understanding foster resilience, intrinsic motivation, and lasting confidence. Balanced parental expectations combined with empathy promote healthier development and more sustainable academic achievement than coercive, grade-focused strategies.
Read at Psychology Today
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