Helping Your Child Deal with Exam Stress
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There’s a lot of pressure and expectation on children during their final years at school. As well as a mountain of homework, they will need to do regular revision to make sure that they all set for their exams. There’s also a lot riding on them as they will need good grades to secure places at good schools/colleges/universities. The stress in itself can be a roadblock as we struggle to concentrate when anxious and is quite common for children to experience as test anxiety affects 25–40% of children. If you’re worried about your child and sense that they aren’t coping well, we have some tips below from a private school in Bath that may help.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help when feeling overwhelmed. It looks to reduce stress and anxiety by redirecting your attention to the present. Techniques often look to regulate your breathing and involve the five senses (touch, taste, see, smell and hear). A few that parents find helpful are mindful walking, mindful breathing, and body scanning. Body scanning in particular is a good one to practise before bed as it helps children to unwind. A good solution if stress and anxiety is affecting their sleep.
Talk
Talking can offer comfort and solutions to their problems. It’s something that you can do by speaking to them about how they’re finding school and feeling within themselves. Sometimes it can help speaking to a stranger. They may benefit from speaking to a school counsellor that they feel will not judge them.
Create Routine
Routine is important to maintain as it gives children a sense of security. Also, in times of high stress and anxiety, it can make sure that they maintain healthy habits (sleeping and eating etc).
We hope that you found this post beneficial. For more parenting tips, check out our blog.
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