DID YOU KNOW? That parents play a crucial role when it comes to examination preparations for a child

AS the Grade Seven October national examinations draws closer; the examiner this week is going to unpack some of the critical issues with regards to tips for parents which can lead to good examination results. Why Grade Seven? One might ask.This is the first national examination for a child since born which determines his/ her future, hence parents’ involvement is very important.

Note that . . . Success in school and examinations is prepared at home hence parents/guardians can encourage their child to succeed in their educational duties by helping them study for exams. Whether you are preparing for a specific exam, or creating good study habits overall, your support can make a huge difference in a child’s ability to do well. More so, helping to create a stress-free environment at home will do wonders for a child’s capacity to study and thrive in school. Parents can an play important role to help children cope with exam stress. Not only child but also parents cope with stress when they see their children coping with exam stress. However, handling the situation calmly will help you as well as your child to cope with exam stress easily.

Support your child The best way to support your child during the stress of revision and exams is to make home life as calm and pleasant as possible. It helps if other members of the household are aware that your child may be under pressure and that allowance should be made for this.

Try not to nag or make too many demands on your child during exam preparation time. Arguments are counterproductive and will only add unnecessary stress and distract from revision.

Some children are “bribed” to do well in exams and are offered cash or gifts to achieve good grades. But bribery is not a good idea as it implies that the only worthwhile reward for hard work is money and that you don’t trust your child to work hard. Negative messages like these will affect your child’s sense of self-worth.

Encourage your child to do well for his or her own sake rather than for money or to please you. Explain that exams are not an end in themselves but a gateway to the next key stage of life. Good results are themselves the best reward for hard work and will make your child proud of his or her achievements.

Make sure your child knows you are interested in their work and that you'll be proud if they do well. Although bribery is not advisable, it is fine to provide small treats by way of encouragement — perhaps a piece of cake or some biscuits after a chunk of revision had been completed. The end of exams can be celebrated with a treat that everyone can look forward to.

Positive Attitude Help your child to absorb positive attitude if he or she is scared of exams. Positive attitude will make your child confident and help to reduce exam stress. However, make sure that your child is not overconfident during exams. Keep proper track in advance to make sure that your child has learnt everything properly before exams to avoid exam stress.

Watch for signs of frustration. Studying can be hard work for kids, and that’s a fact; however you do not want to push them past their limits. If your child becomes visibly agitated, very frustrated, or seems overwhelmed, it may be time to take a break. Your child will learn better if they keep stress levels low.

The better you are able to keep calm and communicate with your frustrated child, the better you can help them move through it. Try asking them what they find so difficult about this task. If they are able to isolate a problem, you may be able to help them more effectively Provide right nutrition

Make sure that you provide right nutrition to your child. Many a times parents tend to give whatever their child would like to eat during exam preparation. Such food stuffs include chips, pizzas, burgers, cakes etc. Instead of providing your child with fast food during this period, try to make sure that your child is having a balanced diet. It is very important and it is a proven fact that the right diet can help a child to do well in exams.

Keep family problems away If you have any differences with your family members or spouse, try to keep it away. Do not fight in front of your child at least during this period. Such things can increase stress level of your child and make it difficult for him to cope with exam stress.

Avoid putting pressure and yelling Do not yell or shout at your child if he or she is not able to solve all revision questions or has done some mistake. Try to support your child as much as you can so that the exam stress does not affect the performance. At the same time, shouting and yelling at your child may have long term effects which is not good for child development. At the same time, avoid putting pressure on your child to study hard day and night. However, do not stop motivating your child to study hard. Do not forget that there is a huge difference between motivating and pressurising the child.

In this way you can play an important role in helping your child to cope with exam stress. Do not forget to reward your child when he or she performs well and scores good marks. Remember, nothing is as important as your love, care and support for your child.

For more information or comments email pr.infor@ zimsec.co.zw or WhatsApp 0772148786.