When you think about it, isn’t it strange how a number decides your future? How all throughout the school year people stress over the difference between a 70 and a 90? Isn’t it even stranger how these numbers evoke different reactions from our parents and guardians? In some households a bad grade is viewed lightly by parents, looked over once and then never brought up again. But in other homes, such as my own and many others, scoring well on a test is practically essential if you wish maintain a healthy relationship in your family.

Seeing my friends freak out over an 88 has become an everyday occurrence, really. Even though I wouldn’t really categorize that grade as bad per se, they often tell me “ My mom will kill me!” or “ I have to get at least a 90” and other things along those lines. To be honest I can relate to them, parents are always pressuring their children to get good grades and by good I mean As.

Sometimes it feels like siblings always get off easy when it comes to their report cards, which is utterly unfair. Whether your parents pressure you to be a good influence on your young siblings or live up to the family name that your older siblings created, it seems like parents like to breathe down their kids necks about grades. Not even kids who are the only child get a break, trust me, I’d know. It’s like parents don’t understand that we aren’t robots and that we’ll make mistakes or get confused about things.

This may not be true for others but I’ve noticed that the common excuse among adults is that they want us to have a better future than them or they just want us to make it in life or, my personal favorite, “ You’ll thank me later.” Now, please do not misinterpret my words, I adore my mother and have her to thank for the person I’ll become but currently, I feel that she has yet to find line between pressuring me just enough and pressuring to the point of rebellion.

In some families there are punishments for bad grades, ranging from not being allowed to watch TV, to being grounded completely. In my home a bad grade could land me a week without my phone, which in my own opinion, is the worst punishment a teenager could receive. Just the thought of being without it makes me try even harder in my classes. I don’t mean to say  that all pressure is bad, people tend to forget that along with every great punishment there is an equally great reward on the other side. When you get a could grade maybe you get a vacation from chores or some extra slice of cake after dinner, or even, if you’re lucky some extra cash in your pocket.

Parents, I know that you do all that you do out of love, but please take note of how we feel when you push us to do better, because sometimes you make us feel like our best will never be good enough and that is a miserable feeling to have, trust me, I’d know.