Parents Guide to Exam Stress

Please see below for some suggestions and tips aimed at parents for helping your children through their exams.  Support your children, encourage your them to do as well as they can, but try not to pressure them or make them feel that you will be very disappointed if they don't do well.

• Help them to set up a quiet place to study and protect their privacy.
• Take an interest in what they are doing.
• Lessen the chores around exam time, and encourage your young people to get some breaks from study.
• Let them know that you trust them to do as well as they can.
• Encourage your children to talk with teachers or lecturers about a study program that suits them - and to stick to it.
• Encourage them to get ideas about revision techniques from teachers or friends and choose what suits them best.
• Help them to balance their time and to allow time for exercise, going out, staying in touch with friends and having fun and enough rest.
• Encourage them to get plenty of fresh air. Try studying outside for a change.
• When people feel stressed their body needs to do something active - this is the way our ancestors escaped from their enemies. So encourage your teenager to do something active when he or she feels really stressed - go for a run or play an energetic game.
• Make sure there is time for friends. Talking things over with others helps.
• It is important to take breaks, especially when they feel tired or they are not working well. Stretch, go for a walk, or do something different for a few minutes.
• Some foods seem to help more than others - a drink of warm milk can help relax at bedtime, while sugar gives more energy for a while, but then the person can feel worse than before.
• Young people don't need drinks with caffeine in them before an exam - their own stress will make them tense enough!
• If they are obviously not able to do well, or maybe not working as well as they can, remember that there are other ways to do well in life without passing exams. For those who are not yet ready to work well at their study for some reason, there can always be another time.