Growing up, my parents were very strict with our grades. We were constantly honor students, and we worked hard for it. It translated to our work ethic as well. While it helped me get promoted faster, I think it burned me out quickly. It can be both a blessing and a curse.
It makes sense for parents to instill a solid work ethic in their kids as lessons like that are more readily learned at a young age; it seems you turned out ok so your parents clearly did something right.