On May 14th, in the Zhentao Building Auditorium, ten groups of students and their parents in Grades 9-10 participated in the parents’ school activities. Under the guidance of the teacher from Carnegie training, they learned some strategies to relieve academic and emotional stress, improve self-awareness and self-confidence, and promote parent-child communication skills.

Through ice-breaking games, two groupings, and communication exercises, the students and parents shared their most fulfilling things this week, the most frustrating things, and how they alleviate these situation. The students were surprised to find that parents also face pressure every day, and parents also realized that their children face many challenges in their daily high-school lives. After the theme of improving self-confidence was finished, parents and students learned some very practical tips. They need to talk to each other about the day’s three achievements after dinner or before bed every day. This achievement may not be a traditional honor or prize; it can be a moment of releasing of one's own highlights or it can be some kind of moment that makes one strongly feel the value of life.

According to the different personalities of parents and children, choosing a more effective way of communication is the most impressive point that everyone learned in the activity. Through the writing of "grateful cards" by parents and children, everyone learned that by adjusting their expectations to each other, communicating with each other with gratitude is an effective way to jointly help children relieve academic pressure and enhance self-confidence. Through this activity, it provides a communication platform for parents and children, and encourages everyone to work towards more effective parent-child communication and healthy development of family relationships.

(Written/Pictures by Lin Chen)