Academic Parental Pressure
Academic parental pressure is one of the major problems students are facing these days which leads to deteriorating mental health and other issues in life. All parents try to focus on their child’s academic performance but parents who put too much focus on grades and extracurricular activities are minimizing the importance of social skills and compassion. Thus, they could actually be contributing to their children’s failure when it comes to being well-adjusted individuals and contributing members of society.
Each and every child has it’s own capability and works according to his/her potential. But forcing the child to go beyond the potential can turn out to be dangerous. In India, many families force their child to go for a particular profession which they feel is suitable for their child. The child is not questioned about his/her desire for a profession which in turn leads to poor academic performance in that particular field.
In an Indian newspaper, all the psychologists discussed and they all agreed that, when children fail to meet their parent’s expectations all they need is some solace but their parents refuse to sympathize with them, and it is here they feel trapped by emotions that they can’t handle. That is why many young people in India choose to commit suicide. In 2008 in Bengal there were 940 suicides by students. After Bengal comes Maharashtra with 757 suicides.
We see many young people sitting with a frown face, depressed, tired and in physical pain when they are in school. This is because they fear not being able to live up to parent’s expectations. They keep on worrying about matters such as “Will I be able to get 90% above” “Will I get 1st rank in class” “ What will I say to parents if I don’t get good marks” etc. Today many parents have high expectations from their children. But putting too much parental pressure can be harmful because not every child can handle a lot of pressure.
Parent’s have no idea how something they say can affect their child, especially when they say that they must come home with high grades and if they don’t they have to study more than a child can handle. As a result, students take a lot of stress and gradually their mental health starts declining.
Academic parental pressure has various impacts on children such as developing stress and anxiety, physical exhaustion and improper social relationships.
Stress and Anxiety-
A child is always under constant pressure to perform well and meet the desired expectations of parents. As a result the child keeps on worrying and gradually develops stress and anxiety. Their mind is obsessed with fear of parents if they are not able to achieve their expectations. Constantly experiencing fear, anxiety, and stress can place the children at a greater risk of developing depression and other mental health conditions.
Physical Exhaustion-
Too much academic parental pressure can lead to physical exhaustion along with declining mental health. A stressed and depressed person gradually faces health issues like improper sleep, high blood pressure etc. If a person’s mind is mentally healthy then only the body can stay healthy. Stress and depression bring many diseases along with them such as diabetes, heart diseases etc. Improper sleep can lead to insomnia and the child might feel tired most of the time. Thus, the child won’t be able to concentrate on his/her studies.
Improper social relationships with parents-
Parent’s behavior towards their child matters a lot in maintaining healthy relationships with their child. A child should be freely able to talk to parents without any hesitation. Excessive Academic parental pressure can lead to improper social relationships with parents. A child starts to hesitate while talking about something and fears talking with parents. They don’t spend much time with parents and begin avoiding them which is unhealthy for a child and parent relationship.
We understand that parents say to do a particular thing just because they care for their children and want them to have a successful life. Pressurizing children is necessary for their growth and well being but when the limit is crossed then it turns out to be dangerous and starts affecting their mental health. Parents should always make it a point to focus on the good aspects and positive attributes of the student. Parents must understand that their children are living in a world where they may face racial, sexual, or religious discrimination, body shaming, hormonal challenges, family or financial problems, violence, etc.
All these concerns contribute to poor academic performance, lack of motivation, lack of social interaction and even self harm. Parent’s must listen and understand their child’s opinion and act accordingly without putting extreme parental pressure.
