Exam season is a stressful time to say the least. It’s the moment most of our academic lives have built up to which can be a huge pressure and burden to carry alone. Whether it be sitting an entrance exam for public school or your GCSEs, the stress felt can be difficult to manage for a lot of children. We have paired up with an independent school in Cardiff to share tips on how you can support your child through an exam period.
A Balanced Diet
Food is fuel for the body. While high sugar energy drinks and snacks can be tempting to help power through a revision session, they don’t essential nutrients the body needs. A balanced diet is vital for your child’s health and wellness during exam periods.
Some parents also report that foods with high caffeine, sugar and fats increase hyperactivity, irritation and make their children moody.
Sleeping Well
For good concentration and thinking, children need between 8 to 10 hours of sleep. This can be particularly difficult when feeling anxious the night before an exam or being occupied moments before going to bed. For this reason we advise against cramming in last-minute revision before bed.
It’s wise to allow your child 30 minutes to unwind before going to sleep. Reading a non-challenging book or exercising mindfulness can be a great way to do this.
Be Supportive and Reassuring
If you notice your child going off track, speak to them and see what’s wrong so that you can find an agreed solution or remind them of their goal. Another way might want to create encouragement is through the use of a reward system to give your child a treat or incentive for time spent revising or achieving good marks on a past paper.
Positive encouragement and reassurance will help to give your child the confidence they need to do well. Remind them of how proud you are of them and of the hard work they have put in to reach this point. Positive words are far more uplifting and motivating than nagging when it comes to getting children to do their work. This can make all the difference in the lead up to an exam.
A Helping Hand
You may notice that your child is struggling, and this is where extra tuition can help. Group or one to one study sessions with a qualified tutor outside of regular lesson time can give your child the extra help needed to work through what they are struggling on.
Recognise the Limits of Your Help
As a parent there is only so much that you can do. Remember that you are a great parent and all you can do is be there to support your child to be the best that they can be.