{"id":3339,"date":"2023-02-06T16:04:30","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T13:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghafla.com\/sponsored\/?p=3339"},"modified":"2023-03-02T00:56:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T21:56:36","slug":"dilemma-how-do-i-apologize-to-my-parents-for-failing-my-exams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghafla.co.ke\/sponsored\/dilemma-how-do-i-apologize-to-my-parents-for-failing-my-exams\/","title":{"rendered":"Dilemma: How do I apologize to my parents for missing top grades in my exams?"},"content":{"rendered":"

My 14-year-old niece is the firstborn in my brother\u2019s family. She feels immense pressure to excel in academics, due to an overly-achieving family.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both parents are pursuing doctorates in their respective fields. <\/span><\/p>\n

Her father is a physician, and her mother has built a solid reputation in law and governance. Both teach part-time at public universities.<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019s called Naomi, and has just received her 2022 KCPE results. She missed the elusive \u2018400 mark\u2019 by 45 points.<\/span><\/p>\n

Man, she is devastated. <\/span>I\u2019d understand why.<\/span><\/p>\n

My brother is stern, strict and pushes for excellence in everyone around him. Lots of times at the cost of personal freedom and friendship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Burdened with a busy schedule, Naomi\u2019s parents would miss most of her school\u2019s parent-engagement events.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d often be the parent at Naomi\u2019s top-rated private boarding school. It did not come cheap. Often, her father would remind her of <\/span>\u2018How expensive that school is\u2019<\/span><\/i> and, <\/span>\u2018Set a good example to your brother\u2019.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The younger brother is in 6<\/span>th<\/span> grade – and cared little if she scored A\u2019s or E\u2019s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Poor Naomi performed well throughout, but this kind of pressure robbed her of her dream marks at her final exams.<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point, she was not overly anxious of the kind of high school she\u2019d attend, but struggling under an overwhelming feeling of failing her successful parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worse, her cousin in a derelict, poorly-staffed and equipped day school had beaten her by 20 marks – at a fraction of the cost!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Naomi had a shocker question for me: <\/span>How do I apologise to my parents for failing my exams?<\/b>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I stuttered a little, and thought of three possible answers:<\/span><\/p>\n