Everyone dreads exams, even the most prepared students ―along with their parents. Stress levels are exploding, the clock’s ticking, but the world seems to keep spinning. Sometimes, students can be so stressed about their grades that they’re overly ambitious, so they burn out easily. Others, however, are so overwhelmed that they procrastinate and fail to thoroughly revise the study material.
What can parents do during this time? Well, among some of the things they shouldn’t do, we recall putting pressure on their kids to achieve the best grades. Tiger parenting might not be the best way to ensure your kids will be successful because it puts a strain on their mental health.
So, how can you support your kids while encouraging them to study and find motivation on their own?
Reward their effort
Many students struggle to keep up with their exams because the school system is focused on memorising endless knowledge. In contrast, a person’s learning style can differ from that of reading/writing. So, if your kids learn better based on auditory skills, they might struggle to retain visual information.
However, they’re still trying, and the effort deserves a reward. A tangible gift can remind them of your support, but if you want to make it useful as well, you can give them personalised pens with their favourite colour, name, or a printed motivational quote.
On the other hand, if you’ve been following trends recently, you’ve seen how many young people wear totes due to their functionality and style versatility. Small businesses, digital artists, or even cultural startups sell totes because their core values align with young people, and that can be visually transfigured. So, search for personalised tote bags that are both useful for carrying supplies and bring a vivid appeal to your kids’ outfits.
Participate in their studying process
Although your kid is not technically a kid anymore and can handle some textbooks and homework, your support is always appreciated if you do it properly. At this age, teens will do anything to avoid an interrogation about their social or academic life, so you must be present without them noticing it.
The best way you can do this is to have a simple conversation with them. Share what’s going on at work, for example, and give them the space to talk about their friends and teachers. Try not to pressure them too much if they leave out certain details.
It would also be helpful to challenge them academically but in their preferred way. It may sound silly, but have you considered sharing memes about current social occurrences with them? These funny yet parodical images with text have a lot of intertextuality and viral dissemination, so you can use them to open fun and exciting discussions. Here are some great memes about social justice you might want to discuss with your soon-to-be adult.
Don’t overreact to their mistakes
Making mistakes is completely normal and also helpful in many ways. Since our earliest ages, we’ve made mistakes over and over, as they taught us how to behave and perfect our approach to life. You, too, are making mistakes as an adult, so why can’t kids do them too?
Acknowledging their mistakes is useful, but up to a point. Is it really that bad if they didn’t get a straight A on every test during the exam season? Maybe they had a hard time understanding the assignment or simply had a bad day, which is part of life. They’ll often experience such seatbacks during their student years, and all they need from you is understanding and support.
At the same time, try to encourage them to give their best. Mistakes teach us about ourselves, which they are still learning. So, if they’ve failed one test, they might be able to figure out their perfect learning style or best time to study.
Ensure they’re not under too much pressure
When kids aren’t overwhelmed and procrastinating, they’re over-preparing and skipping sleep and meals for the exam. Therefore, watch out for these signs of overworking:
- Sleep deprivation can make them easily irritated and unable to concentrate;
- Changes in appetite are an obvious sign of stress, and binge eating or skipping meals are unhealthy;
- Spending too much time studying and neglecting hobbies;
- Experiencing headaches, panic attacks or being nauseous;
As soon as you notice these signs, it’s time to make sure they’re taking care of themselves. Pack them nutritious meals and snacks and try to separate their study and sleeping spaces to allow them to rest. Take them out on walks, and don’t ignore obvious signs of illness.
Spend valuable time with them
Supporting your kids can sometimes mean listening to their rants about school for hours or simply sharing some ice cream late at night. Your kids must know you’re their ally and closest confidant, allowing them to be vulnerable and open around you.
Nurturing trust between you and your kid is the best way to help them. This way, they can reach out for help to you when they struggle to study or simply have a problem. That’s why it’s best to make room to spend time with them, even if you’re watching a movie at home or sharing memes on social media.
This will also let them trust you when it comes to failure. If they might not pass an exam, they can trust you won’t judge them or bring them down as a way to “build character”. Rather than that, they can come to you for advice and encouragement.
What do you think about these tips?
Being a parent of a student whose exam season is approaching can be challenging. Kids can be considerably stressed during this time due to social pressure and their own expectations, so you should be able to support, motivate, and help them. You can reward them with simple yet useful gifts, make sure they don’t ignore their well-being, and spend valuable time with them to ensure they’re not burning out.
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