'Better than yesterday'

Feeling stressed over your child's exam? You have company.

Research shows that 25% of parents experience mental stress due to their kids' impending exams and 25% lose their sleep over it as well.

Here's why you need to get over this stress:

1. You are unknowingly passing the anxiety to your child. He/ She may be better equipped for the exam than you can imagine.
2. Your child is more likely to recollect what he/she has learnt if they feel confidence, rather than self-doubt, which is what they will feel when your stress converts to anger and frustration in front of them.
3. You do not need an additional factor of stress in your already packed daily work-life.

Fair? There are a few things you can do to alleviate this strain on your brain:

1. Set realistic goals – It would be unrealistic to make your child study the entire syllabus just before the exam. Instead, create a workable plan.
2. Make time for revision – Help your child plan their revision timetable. Pin it someplace from where your child can see it easily. Factor in adequate short breaks.
3. Encourage your child – Kids may stress out during exams. Do praise their efforts. Encourage, do not threaten. Give them emotional support.
4. Identify your child’s learning style – Every person tends to learn differently. Some love to read aloud, while some like to move around while learning. Some like to write while some like to listen or draw.
5. Ask them to teach – Teaching is the best form of learning. Role play.
6. Self-Care – Sleep, Eat Well and Hydrate. These are a must for kids. Research has shown that sleep deprived children get less marks because their memory and concentration is affected by lack of sleep.If the above seems doable, do it now, for this exam and make it a habit to consciously weed out any stress in your body and mind for your child's examination. Exams are there to help us identify what we know well and what we need to work on. There is always enough time for your child to learn and get better the next time."I'm better at this than I was yesterday", is the only mantra you need to drill into your child and yourself.