When exam season comes children get busy preparing for their subjects, stress and anxiety levels are at their peak points. Exam stress in children is usually caused by certain imaginary fears and often the lack of confidence. A child who is not well prepared has all the reasons to get stressed. However, exams are a cause of stress even for the best prepared ones. Now a day’s parents too feel exam stress along with their children. Here are some ways which will help you in coping exam stress in your child.
Causes of Exam Stress in Children
• Worry: Most of the children always get stressed because they worry about their subjects. "How to prepare for all subjects in such less time?", this thought bother them always.
• Performance anxiety: It’s a reason for stress for almost all children, as parents pressurize them to get full marks every time and write good paper without leaving any questions.
• To Prove Themselves: Some children are constantly forced to get the top grade. Another reason for children to be stressed is when parents expect young one to be like their elder sibling if he is a good scorer.
• Negative Thoughts: Before exams approaches, most of children's minds are filled with all negative thoughts. They often feel that they won’t be able to give their best even if they are prepared.
Examination stress is a universal phenomenon which is not only common in students but their parents too. Parents today want their children to have successful careers and comfortable lives. They tend to put so much pressure on their children that he/she cannot give their best even if they try hard to.
Parents Pressurize Kids For
• Parents tend to compare their child with others and always nag them to be like them.
• Children study hard under pressure to get things like games, computer etc.
• To maintain reputation in social circle, there are some parents who fall in the social trap of making their kids achievement a showcase.
• Intense competition: Every parent wants their child to be the best. Increasing competition drives parents to pressurize their children to always do the best.
For well being of their child’s future, parents become very passionate about their exam. Most of the parents struggled hard to reach where they are and hence they always want their children to be best in putting efforts during exams. They forget to realize that every person is born with some special skills and talent; they make whole examination as big issue.
Ways to Coping with Exam Stress in Children
Coping with exam stress is very important for child’s mental health. Once they understand the way to handle it they won’t be stressed and worried about it. Down are the ways to cope up with exam stress in your child.
• Start Early
Children often get more stressed when there preparation are not done properly. Make sure your child doesn’t start studying all subjects at the last moment. This is surely not going to help but confuse him and make him less confident. Explain them how studying before hand is going to help them to gain confidence and perform better in exams. Cultivate the habit to study everyday apart from doing the regular homework.
• Help to Schedule
Help your child to schedule his studies. You can prepare a time table chart and put it up in his room or near the study table. This will make him feel relaxed and not overloaded. He can study each subject according to chart.
• Don’t pressurize
Try and avoid pressurizing your child. Putting more pressure is going to hamper his efforts of studying. All the efforts which your child is taking can go in vain if you force him unnecessarily. He will study for the sake of studying but may not be able to answer all questions in the paper during writing exam. Also, don’t threaten him to get full marks, as it is going to scare him more.
• Sit With Them
Sit next to him and enquire about his studies. Ask them if they he/she any doubts or difficulties which you can help him to understand. Make him feel that everything is going to be fine and he doesn't have to worry about examinations. Some children are weak in certain subject who needs attention; make sure you dedicate time for it and solve their difficulties.
• Be Supportive and Encouraging
Exam period can be stressful for your child. If your child is a poor scorer, don’t shout and get frustrated by the way he is studying. Being supportive and encouraging is very necessary on behalf of parents. Shouting, getting angry is only going to make situation worse, he might not be able to concentrate and lose confidence. Some children fall sick during examination period. Such children need to be treated with good care. If he doesn’t overcome exam fear, you can take him to child counselor.
• Motivation
Explain your child benefits of having good marks and also how they can be useful in their future. Explain him its alright if they score badly but instill the confidence in them that they can always work hard to achieve the best. Motivation is the best tool for handling exam stress.
• Create a Healthy Environment
The environment in which your child studies makes a lot of difference. Make sure you maintain the sound of television while he/she is studying. Don’t allow siblings to go near the child, as they can create distraction. Make sure that his room has enough bright light. You can keep a bottle of water in his room as this will save his time and will help to maintain his concentration.
• Breaks
Make sure your child takes enough breaks in middle. Studying at stretch can be really boring and strenuous. Taking breaks will make him fresh and be focused when he starts studying again.
• Good Food
Give them energy boosting food during exams period. Include eggs, vegetables and lot of fruits and dry fruits.
• Relax
Teach your child to relax and stay calm. You can allow him to go out for half an hour or allow him to watch his favorite serial. You can also teach them to mediate for few minutes as it helps in improving concentration.
• Sleep
Make sure your child gets good sleep. Remember that it is their stressful time, if they don’t get enough sleep they might be cranky and moody. A child must at least for 8 to 10 hours so that he will feel fresh and relaxed.
Exam stress can be handled efficiently by parents with positive attitude. Not all children are the same and hence everyone cannot be at the top. Every parent has to understand their own child, by being supportive and encouraging you can make children feel that examinations are not dreadful. Remember if your child is not good at academics, he may be good at sports, music, arts etc. Encourage them in things which interests them, Sachin Tendulkar, AR Rahman were not good at studies and look where they are today!!
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