A survey conducted recently indicates that the parents who are proud of their children are twenty percent more than the children who consider themselves as prides of their parents.

There exist two reasons, which may account for this subtle difference. First, conservative Chinese parents are never accustomed to conveying directly how much they are proud of their kids. This tendency to conceal feelings hardly helps children develop a strong sense of self-confidence. Second, the current education system excessively emphasizes the value of academic performance, thus forcing children to extensively believe that only by achieving excellent scores can they make their parents proud. This bias unfairly undermines the significance of talents for art and sports, which easily frustrates children and renders them more likely to underestimate themselves.

Without the genuine encouragement from parents and the reversal of exam-oriented educational methods, a kid would never end up with a positive grown-up.(from:上海新东方优能中学高中英语组)