HELP YOUR CHILDREN MANAGE EXAM STRESS

As parents, it’s our job to keep our children calm as they prepare for the exam season. By offering them the correct support, you can help your child breeze through this stressful time

Ihate the fact that I my children have to take exams, but they’re unavoidable and that means having to find strategies to help them deal with the stresses, strains and workload of this trying time.

STAYING RELAXED

Keeping calm is important, so refrain from the “world will end if you fail” attitude that some parents embrace. It’s far more useful to tell your kids that exams are not the be all and end all, and that as long as they’ve worked hard, whatever the results, you will love them and help them.

If your children are young, make it clear that SATS tests are no big deal, simply tell them that they’re there to prepare you for “big” school and make sure they carry on with their out-of-school activities.

Making young children swot for exams too young can really disengage them in the long term, so avoid where possible.

If you have kids doing their GCSES and A Levels, help them create a revision timetable a few months before they sit their exams. Make sure it includes lots of free time, family activities and fun events, too.

If, like me, you want to help your kids by testing them on their subjects, make sure you spend some of your evenings familiarising yourself with the subjects they’re sitting.

REGULAR BREAKS

Research has shown that you shouldn’t revise for more than 35 minutes, so ensure your child takes regular breaks. Help them figure out when they work best, too. So if they like evening revision, don’t force them to study in the morning.

If your child doesn’t make an effort to revise despite this support, remember that some children fail because it simply isn’t their time to fully engage in education. These children can often thrive in the workplace or take degrees later in life.

Make sure your child thinks about different options and careers. This means they’ll recognise how their results will affect their future.

What every child needs is to feel like they have someone on their side and as long as you are, no matter what their results, they will find a way forward.