Exams have long become a psychological "hot spot" in many Vietnamese families. Many parents consider the exam as the only turning point of the future, unintentionally turning pressure into a burden on their children's shoulders. Some people have shared feelings of "shock", "wanting to run away" when getting low scores or "failing" aspirations, even falling into a state of silence and prolonged disappointment after knowing their children's exam results.
Those emotions are real, but if not controlled, they can become the second wound for a child who is already under pressure from the exam.
The first important thing parents need to understand: Exam scores are not the only measure of a person's value. An exam, no matter how important, is just a small slice in a very long journey of a person's life. When parents place all their expectations on a single result, they are inadvertently narrowing down their child's future in their own anxiety.
In fact, many psychologists have recommended that parents need to stay calm, listen and accompany their children after the exam results. Instead of blaming or being disappointed, what children need most at this time is a spiritual support to not lose faith in themselves.
Because after each exam, the most vulnerable thing is not the score, but the feeling of "I'm not good enough" in the eyes of parents. An unintentional sentence like "why am I so inferior" can make children withdraw, lose motivation, and even be afraid to try again. Conversely, a timely encouragement can help children get up faster than any other educational method.
Parents need to recognize that: If a child does not take the exam well, it does not mean that the child fails. The child may not have enough time, not the right method, or simply not suitable for that exam. But that does not negate the child's ability, qualities, or future.
In the journey of maturity, failure is an inevitable part. Many successful people today have failed their aspirations many times, retake exams, or switch to other paths such as vocational training, college, or start over. The important thing is not which path you take, but whether you have enough faith to continue going.
An exam may be over, but a child's journey never stops there. And in that journey, parents are not the ones who supervise the results, but the companions.
Finally, the most important thing after each exam season is not criticism or comparison, but calmness, understanding and patience. Because no path to success is the same and there is no single ticket to step into the future.
When parents are calm enough to see their children as a growing person, not a "score board", then no matter what the exam results are, children can still continue to move forward - more steadfast, more confident and not alone.
