The wisdom shown in this conversation between a son and his mother is worthy of deep thought by all parents!
Son: Mom, I can’t sleep, can you talk to me?
Mom: Sure, what’s on your mind?
Son: Are you satisfied with my grades?
Mom: Are you satisfied with your own grades?
Son: They’re not bad. I feel quite confident.
Mom: Sometimes confidence is more important than grades!
Son: Do you really not care about my grades, Mom?
Mom: Think about it, when did I ever care about your grades?
Son: When I was in elementary school, if I wasn’t serious about my homework you tore it up. There was no room for negotiation.
Mom: What I cared about was your attitude toward learning. You know, it’s not about how beautiful your handwriting is. First and foremost, you must be serious, and that’s a matter of having the proper attitude. If there’s a problem with your attitude, you will definitely have a problem with your studies, and this will bring problems to you later in life.
Son: Well, that makes sense! When I was in middle school you valued my grades and paid attention to my classes every day.
Mom: That’s because I cared about your academic character. A student who doesn’t respect the classroom is not respecting the teacher, and not respecting the teacher is not respecting knowledge. If you have no respect for knowledge, you won’t have good conduct either!
Son: Well, then I’m in high school now. You must care about my grades, because they affect what college I can get into!
Mom: Honestly, I really don’t care! What I care about is how you study! Students who have good study quality are able to enjoy the process of learning. Since they are dedicated, they don’t need to think about the result and are happy with the process.
Son: Mom, what will you care about when I get into college? I’ve heard that going to college involves a lot of parties and fun social activities!
Mom: Son, when you go to college, Mom will definitely care about your grades. Think about it, when others are having fun and wasting the time they should be spending on their studies, if you still persist, it will be you who gets the benefit in the end.
The mother cares about her son’s college
Son: I see. In elementary school, you cared about my attitude toward learning. In middle school, you cared about my conduct with regard to learning. In high school, you care about my learning quality, and in college, you’ll care about my academic performance, right?
Mom: My son is very perceptive! When you go out into the world, I care about whether you can choose wisely. Choosing your career and choosing your love will influence most of your life.
Son: That’s so far off, I haven’t thought about it yet.
Mom: There’s no hurry, but I’ll give you a little advice — a peaceful mind will help you go far! Only by keeping your mind tranquil at all times will you be able to reach above and beyond!
Mom: Think about it, ten years ago you cried and begged me to let you play video games and I decisively refused. Now, if you compare yourself with your peers, you’ll see that your mind is not restless, which plays a big role! With a clear focus and goal for each learning stage, you will benefit more in another ten years.
I appreciate how you follow the saying “don’t compare yourself with others, compare yourself with yourself”, which reflects your optimistic and positive attitude! With a sunny mindset like that, no matter what you do in the future, you will not disappoint yourself, you will enjoy life itself, and that is true happiness!
Son: Talking to you makes me feel more powerful and in control.
Mom: Son, it’s almost 12 o’clock, go to bed!
Son: Okay, goodnight Mom!
Elementary school is about attitude, middle school is about character, high school is about quality, college is about grades, and the future is about choices. Do not reverse this order, because there is no turning back in education.
Parental guidance is very important. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.
Translated by Eva
