IELTS Speaking, parties 2 et 3 : Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member

Parents usually feel proud when their children reach milestones like finishing school, getting a good job or doing well in exams. They also feel proud when a child shows kindness or responsibility, for example looking after a younger sibling or helping at home. Small things like a child learning to ride a bike can make parents happy too.

Parents tend to feel proud at two kinds of moments: milestone achievements and moral growth. Milestones are clear — graduation, a first job, passing a big exam — and they signal progress. But many parents feel deeper pride when children show resilience, empathy or responsibility, such as helping a neighbour or recovering from failure. Often the quiet, everyday acts of kindness or steady improvement are the most meaningful over time.

Yes, parents should reward children because it encourages good behaviour. Rewards can be praise, a small treat, stickers or extra screen time. It's useful to reward effort as well as results so children keep trying. But rewards should be fair and not too big.

I think parents should use rewards thoughtfully. Praise and positive attention are often the most effective and help build self-esteem. Material rewards can work too, but they should be age-appropriate and tied to clear expectations so they don’t become bribes. Practical rewards — for example extra freedom, a special outing or responsibility — can reinforce good habits while teaching children about consequences.

No, it is not good to reward children too often. If you reward everything, the child may expect a prize for every small thing. That can stop them from doing things because they care. It is better to use rewards sometimes and praise more.

Generally it’s unwise to reward children too frequently because that can undermine intrinsic motivation. If every task comes with a prize, kids learn to do things only for external gain. A better approach is intermittent reinforcement: praise effort consistently and offer occasional, meaningful rewards to celebrate progress. Over time this helps children value the activity itself rather than just the reward.

Adults feel proud of themselves on many occasions, like when they get a promotion, finish an important project, or buy a house. Also when they learn a new skill, such as swimming or cooking, or when they help someone in need. These things show personal progress.

Adults can be proud for both public achievements and private growth. Career milestones such as promotions or completing a degree are obvious examples, but quieter moments — overcoming anxiety, sticking with sobriety, or rebuilding a relationship — are often more profound. Pride also comes from meeting long-term goals, like training for a marathon, where steady commitment pays off.

Rewards can help a child improve because they make the child want to repeat good behaviour. They work well at the start when forming a habit. But rewards need to be followed by teaching and practice; otherwise the child may stop when the reward ends.

Rewards are useful as part of a broader strategy. They provide feedback and can motivate initial learning, especially for difficult or boring tasks. However, for lasting improvement you need to combine rewards with explanations, modelling and opportunities to practise so the child internalises the behaviour. Praise that focuses on effort and strategies tends to produce better long-term results than simple treats.

If children work hard just for grades, that is not good. Grades matter but they are not everything. Working only for marks can make children stressed and they might not learn other useful skills. It's better to balance grades with real understanding.

Working hard for grades is understandable because exams open doors, but it’s limiting if that’s the sole aim. A grade-oriented approach can encourage short-term memorisation rather than deep learning, and it can harm wellbeing. Ideally, teachers and parents should promote a growth mindset: value effort, curiosity and problem-solving so children work for understanding as well as for results.