How to Deal With Children and Exams: The Parental Guide

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Exams not only help to get good marks, secure a better stream, or a scholarship, but a successful performance in exams can help boost the confidence of a child. While your child is facing a lot of pressure from school, friends and society, it’s your turn as a parent to make your child motivated and confident enough to prepare for the exam.

Here’s how you can support your children during the exam:

Don’t put much pressure on the students

Each year, crores of students appear for exams from different boards. You can imagine the immense pressure your child may face during the preparation of the exam with such competition.

As a parent, you should realize the stress factor and not set any unrealistic targets for them. During the exam, you should give an assurance to your child that you will be there to support them irrespective of the exam result. A gentle motivation and encouragement will be much more helpful to boost the child’s confidence.

Help them to manage time and prepare a timetable

While a child is going to face the board exam, they have to give proper time to revisions, solving previous year’s questions, memorizing, etc. They must have an hour or two for rest and recreation. Parents need to help their child create a proper time table to meet the daily study target and ensure that each day remains balanced.

In this process, they might not need your consistent help. But you have to be there at the initial phase to help them stay on track. It is the moment when as a parent you have to be firm forward yet supportive to your child.

Monitor the progress and encourage them to create Self-Help Aids

Daily assessments can do much to track your child’s progress. Encourage them to take up regular mock tests seriously. Figure out their strong and weak areas from the mock assessment. Also, please do not allow any extra time, restricting them to complete a paper within the given time limit. By this, they will be more organized at the time of the real exam.

Sit down with them, take an oral test. Once your child is done with each mock and oral examination, ask them to list the patterns of mistake, and areas needing further revision. In this way, they can create a better revision plan and can improve their performance efficiently with time.

Make sure you are giving proper attention to nutrition, exercise/activity and sleep

Your child needs to look after themselves. It is very common for students to forget to eat or sleep at a proper time when the exam is just one or two weeks away. They get busy with their schedule and due to stress, sleeping and eating on time, takes a back seat.

As a parent, you have to make sure that your child remains mentally and physically healthy during this time. Make sure they have a healthy and balanced diet. You can encourage them to take juice or fruits at a regular intervals. If your child prefers to study late at night, encourage them to take frequent power naps in the day time. This will boost the mental capability in such a stressful time.

And don’t forget physical exercise. Take your child out with you for a walk or a cycle ride. Make sure they have a regular break from studying for nutrition, physical activity and sleep.

Provide a proper environment for study

Do not create a national library in your home, instead create a calm environment. Make sure you are not organizing any house party at the time of exams.

Give your child the support they need during the examination, be that pillar and help them to flourish in their exam and not be afraid of it.

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It’s a difficult world out there. You were my little girl and now you are ready to take on the world. You will have your own new experiences. You will make mistakes. You will stumble, fall and learn to get up. You will make new friends; some of whom I may not even approve of. You will fall in love and might have a heart break or two. You will learn and discover many things on your own, but there are a few things that I always want you to remember –

You are beautiful

There is no such thing as a perfect body. The society, the billboards, the tv commercials and the movies may suggest that there is, but in reality, people come in every shape and size. It is okay that you want to look your best. But always remember that a good heart is what makes you more beautiful and a smile is the best makeup you can wear.

Understand your hormones

Getting a period is an important part of womanhood, it means you can be a mother if and when you decide to be one. You may see your friends being unperturbed during that time of the month, while you may wriggle in pain, or may be irritable.It is fine to feel how you are and its okay to talk about it. Each woman has a different menstrual experience. Try to understand your cycle and how your body responds to it. Don’t let your hormones takes over your life, just be prepared for it.

Stand up for yourself

You will meet people who will try to judge or change the way you think, the way you talk, the way you carry yourself, the way you act. It is okay to listen to them, if you wish to. But do not be afraid to voice your opinions and your beliefs, even if you think you might offend someone. Be respectful to them, but do not think twice about standing up for yourself. You do not have to accept the things that you are not okay with. If you are not happy with the way someone is treating you, the way someone is talking to you, the way someone is touching or looking at you, let it be known – loud and clear.

Do what you do – because you want to, not because the society expects you to

More often than not we let the society mould our thoughts and actions – what clothes to wear when, what profession to choose, when to marry and when to have babies. We do not need to live by these rules. Do what you love. Follow your heart and that ways you will never be disappointed. And yes, you can choose to be single all your life. You can decide to focus on your career, or be a doting mother to your babies or do both. The choice is yours. But of course, be sensitive to people whom you are sharing your journey with.

Be Financially Independent

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it still is important. The confidence you gain from being financially independent cannot be gained in any other way. You can never predict the hardships or unforeseen incidents that may happen in the future. But the confidence that you can handle things on your own, if need be, can be very reassuring. You don’t need a man, or for that matter anyone to take care of you. You can take care of yourself.

Everyone is equal

You are equal to the men around you. Don’t let the society make you believe otherwise. You deserve the same opportunities, the same chances, the same freedom, the same choices that men get. And if there is anything they can achieve, you can too. It is your capability that determines the heights you reach and not your gender. Treat men also with the same respect that you expect them to treat you.

I want you to remember all this, but most of all want you to remember that I will always have your back and will always be around when you need me. You were my little girl, and you always will be.