I can understand that you'd like to see your daughter do her very best. The question is how to get her there. Certainly criticism, nagging and conflict aren't going to help her. Positive feedback, on the other hand, has a proven track record for helping people go from strength to strength. When you see that she gets a good marks, tell her how pleased you are. Don't say, "and think how much better it could have been if only you would have studied more!" Stay positive. It's almost impossible to make a child become motivated - that is an internal state that resides inside, not outside, an individual. Some unmotivated people maintain a relaxed lifestyle (never striving too hard) all through their lives and there is nothing that anyone else can do about this. However, the majority of youngsters who just glide through their studies and activities in high school, do become motivated later on when the outside world imposes competitions (i.e. accepting only so many students for a specialized arts program at College or accepting only one applicant for a specific job position). Your talented and clever daughter will probably make you proud just a bit later on - she is only a child now. Give her time and imagine her as extremely successful 10 or 15 years from now. Most important, refrain from showing her any negativity. Remain loving and pleasant. In addition, you can model achievement orientation for your daughter through your own behavior (Are YOU a go-getter? If so, she'll learn from your example). So hold on and wait - hopefully you'll be very proud of her accomplishments a decade or two from now.    Sarah Chana