With exam time coming soon, your child might need some exam stress management strategies as they feel the pressure! Exam stress is no joke; kids as young as five years old can have them because they know that having good grades is important and this makes them feel anxious. In the end, children are vulnerable to this. It’s easy for them to feel stress and anxiety before the exams. If you don’t help them out, stress levels will rise and they’re more likely to flunk the test. That’s where these strategies and parents come in! In this article, we’ll show you five exam stress management strategies parents can use to help kids. Through these strategies, children will learn how to deal with exam stress and other stressful situations much easier!
Help clear their heads
The first strategy is to help your child clear their heads. Children get stressed with exam papers when they have a cluttered mind and they don’t know how to focus. It’s up to parents and guardians to help them relax. Here’s several ways on how you can do that!
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Relax their body through:
- Taking some deep breaths
- Doing some light exercise (walking, cycling, etc)
- Taking a short nap or rest
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Relax their mind through:
- Doing some favorite hobbies (listen to music, watching TV, etc)
- Focusing on happy memories
- Spending time with family and friends
Clearing their heads will allow your child to see the situation more clearly and be less stressed!
Help them manage their time
The next strategy is to help them have good time management! Kids often panic because they think they have too much to do but not much time to do it. But the truth is they probably do have time. They just aren’t able to see it since they are too focused on what they have to do. Having good time management can help your child cope with exam stress and plan their studies more easily in the long term. You can help them by establishing a weekly routine.At the start of the week, sit down with your child and illustrate how their week or month looks like. Note down the exam timeline and the time your child has left to prepare for it. Then, plan your child’s study routine around that time. Make sure to save time for breaks and cater to how your child learns best!
Teach them to be realistic
Another strategy is to teach your child to be realistic. Sometimes, children feel overwhelmed because they make exams too much of a priority. They’ll set goals that are too high and will try their hardest to achieve it. But the thing is…the higher the bar, the lower they’ll fall. You can help your child set realistic goals by outlining the big picture. Does your child need to get top marks? If not, what’s the minimum grade they should get and how can they get it without sacrificing their health? If they don’t get the grade, what can they do to make up for it? What are the other options they can consider? Remind your child that a bad grade doesn’t mean the end of the world. What matters is that they keep moving forward towards the future.
Organise their study area
Another great idea to manage exam stress is to organise your child’s study area. The best way to reduce exam stress is often before the exam itself. Your child’s desk is the most important space to maintain during exam season, because that’s where they will spend most of their time studying for the exam. If kids study with a messy desk, lots of noises, and zero privacy, they’ll stress themselves out before they get anything done. So, the best thing to do is to clean up the study space. Organise the school supplies properly, put away any unrelated belongings, and make sure there are minimal distractions. When they have a clean area to study, children will have a clearer mind as well!
Practice self care
Finally, the last strategy to manage exam stress is to remind your child to stay healthy, keep balanced diet, have fun and play. Taking care of their mental health, is especially important during these times to reduce stress. The last thing we want is to have them showing up sick to the exam, can they? So, remind them to take frequent breaks between studying. Get them to eat, drink and exercise when needed. Make sure they get a good night’s sleep every day. Let your child know that they can also ask for support anytime. Whether they need a change of scenery or just some good company, supporting your child will give them an easier time studying. These methods of self-care are the best protection kids can have from exam stress!
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Exam stress can feel like a burden to children, but with these five strategies, parents can help their children overcome them easier! But of course, it also helps for kids to be prepared when they go to an exam. If they’re worried about tackling math in particular, one solution you can try is Practicle! Practicle’s math learning app includes fun math games and quests that were made based on Singapore’s MOE primary school math curriculum. Our personalised quizzes and cute pet avatars will help your child learn and love math anywhere! Would you like to know more about our math games? Try our 7-day free trial today!