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For many children and young adults, the exam period is one of the most stressful and anxiety-inducing period of their early lives. For youngsters, the prospect of disappointing their parents, their teachers, and losing the previously buit image among their peers is a real fear. This is likely to be one of the first times in their lives where they experience real stress and many will have not yet developed the tools to cope.

It can also be a difficult time for parents. How can you help your children without increasing their anxiety? How do you reduce their stress and provide them with the best platform to achieve? How much should you involve yourself? Below we look at four proven strategies to help your child excel during the exam period.

Prepare Early

As a parent, it’s important to have a full understanding of the exam schedule well in advance. As soon as the schedule is announced, familiarize yourself with the dates and display the schedule in a common area of the house. Note who will be taking the child to the exam and take control of any other practicalities surrounding the exams. A key cause of stress is when a child feels they are dealing with everything alone. These acts assure a child you are giving them your full support and are managing all the external influences so they can focus fully on their revision and exams.

Revision Schedule

As early as possible, sit down with your child and create a revision plan that spreads studying over a long period. Ideally all revision should be completed a week before the exam date. This will give ample time to recap everything, will reduce the need to cram in the days before, and will significantly reduce stress levels.

It’s also important to fit in regular breaks and physical activity during the revision process. Physical activity will boost energy levels, relieve physical and mental stress and help increase focus when studying resumes. Regular, short breaks help the brain retain information.

Show empathy and flexibility

While there are countless things you can do to vastly reduce the stress your child experiences, it’s impossible to remove stress completely. As a result, they may become irritable over small things and their level of behavior may be worse than usual. Also, household tasks such as tidying rooms or completing the washing up may take a back seat to revision. It’s important to remember the root of this behavior and (within reason), show a bit more leniency than you would normally and avoid criticism whenever possible.

Stay Positive

A number of surveys suggest that parents are one of the main causes of children’s stress during exam period. Positivity is crucial throughout the process, even when inevitable setbacks occur, such as falling behind on the revision schedule. If children sense you are stressed, their stress levels will increase and reduce their ability to perform. Tackle any setbacks with positivity and help get things back on track. Remain upbeat, use positive language and emphasize that exams are not the be all and end all,” even though it may feel that way.