Q: How do I tell my parents that they’re not living up to their promise of staying out of my school life?

– Anonymous Junior

A: As students, we all want to be the best. We want the best grades, the highest leadership positions and the best SAT scores. Sometimes we push ourselves to match our own standards, but other times we do it for our parents.

If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that our parents live to see us shine. They want us to excel in anything and everything that we do. So, when we disappoint them, either academically or personally, it can take a toll on them.

Sometimes, I want nothing more than to scream at my parents. They expect too much from us. We shouldn’t always have to live our lives on their terms. We can’t be model people all the time. Sometimes, we make mistakes!

I get it. When you come home with a low grade on a test or bad news about a paper, you may not exactly receive sunshine and rainbows from your parents. But, they want to know about our academic lives – not because they are nosy or annoying, but because they care. Sometimes, we need to let them care, as long as they don’t use grades to justify who we are. So when you think your parents aren’t giving you enough space, remind them that one low grade doesn’t speak to who we are as individuals. Sometimes, those low grades help us grow.