Giving Praise

As a Chinese person, I'm very proud of my culture, but there is something I really don't like it.Parents seemed chary of giving praise to their children.

If I got an A on the test, they would ask, "How many students got an A in your class?"

If only I did, they would say, "Could you get an A next time?"

Even if I got another A, they would say, "Don¡'t be conceited! You may fall behind next time!"
 
However how hard I tried, they never said, "We're very proud of you!"Can you imagine how frustrated I was?

In fact, not only my parents but also many people have never said those words to their children. I understood why they did so when I grew up because Chinese culture believes "Modesty helps one to go forward, and conceit makes one lag behind."It is true, but the problem is many Chinese children are lacking self-confidence.

Canadians like to say "Well done!" "Good job!" and "Excellent!" to their children; it helps to boost their confidence.

Even if a student asks a very stupid question, the teacher may say, "Good question!" Modesty is a virtue, but let's not overdo it. Parents do everything for their children, but why can't they say one simple sentence to them:"I'm very proud of you!"