Proud dad confesses why he refuses to celebrate daughter's A-grade results — and she's better off for it

When a father learned his daughter had excelled in her exams, he chose not to celebrate it, and imparted a lasting lesson instead. As his daughter texted Sean Valley (@seanmvalley on Instagram) about her remarkable score on an English test, he felt a rush of pride, not for the grade but more for the effort and hard work the result represented. Soon, Valley posted his heartfelt response to his daughter on his profile, setting an example for parents everywhere.

Valley's daughter had worked very hard before her English test. So, when her result came in and she informed her dad, Valley made sure he acknowledged her efforts more than the score. "I told her [that] I am super proud of her grade, but what I was more proud of is all the hard work she did," he explained. Valley reminded his daughter of the sleepless night she spent studying hard for her exams, which led to a fruitful outcome.

Valley said he wanted his daughter to know that she can achieve anything in life if she is determined to put in the required effort. "I just told her that's exciting because you are learning how to work hard; you are learning how to have discipline and do tough things, and that's going to help you not only in school but...in life," Valley added.

Praising kids is a powerful parenting tool, as it can make a big difference in our children's lives. In fact, for every criticism, parents should use at least five praising phrases, argued researchers Berrty Hart and Todd Risley in their book, "Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children." When they analyzed the influence of parental intervention, they found that children do better when parents talk more and praise them more often.

The study also revealed that children who were praised more had higher IQ scores and vocabulary and were more motivated to learn. It further justifies Valley's approach, as he told his daughter, "Grades fade, and vocabulary talent comes and goes, but a work ethic will take you anywhere." 

Meanwhile, netizens appreciated Valley for validating his daughter's efforts rather than focusing only on her grades. For instance, @elsabareti questioned herself, "And I give a hard time to my daughter for that great questioning. Why not 100%? It is nice to learn from another parent." Similarly, @msd_1974 commented, "Wait a minute — we sure do want kids to learn as much as they can. It's very important that they understand that they need to put in the work to get a result, but keep in mind we want to encourage our children — but not push them too much." @herasmebeauty said, "Yes, that’s what I’m proudest of my daughter...the hard work & effort!!"

You can follow Sean Valley (@seanmvalley) on Instagram for more lifestyle content. 

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