How to manage stress of your child during exams

Since it is exam season, thousands of kids and their parents are experiencing sleepless evenings as they worry and stress about tests and results. Anxiety, stress, and tension work as barriers, affecting concentration and performance during the exams. Even for the most intelligent pupils, fear and anxiety frequently manifest as physical and psychological symptoms that make learning more challenging. The pressure of the exam is genuine! Additionally, worry and anxiety, if not treated in a timely manner, can actually result in issues that persist long after exam season.

While students are now vocal about these stress inducers and the overall exam pressure, not every student is comfortable talking about it. Parents play a critical role here both for the vocal as well as the quiet sufferers. From ensuring access to therapists and counselors who can address the mental health concerns of their children to simply taking the time to talk to their children and help them align expectations, parents are integral to a child's stress management journey. Often the fear begins at home, thus making it essential for parents to communicate with children and assure them that just results alone do not in any way determine their capabilities to abilities to succeed in the future. It is essential to acknowledge a child's strengths and unique abilities and play them up, in order to build inner confidence and conviction. A parent is a child's first validation, which goes a long way in shaping his or her attitude toward life.

Here are some tips shared by experienced parents on ways to reduce stress among children:

Rajnee Sinha, mother of a 14-year-old girl who works at a leading IT firm said, "I used to be worried about my child's grades and enforced strict study hours. Even after hours spent with his books, he was not scoring well. That was when I thought that I might be following the wrong approach. I was searching on the internet when I found @getsetparentwithpallavi, an amazing page on parenting. Dr. Pallavi Rao Chaturvedi is India's leading Parenting Coach, Educationist, Entrepreneur and Founder of India's fastest-growing Parenting resource organization–Get Set Parent with Pallavi. The page instantly became my parenting bible. Dr. Pallavi says that while every parent wants better grades for their children, it is important for them to understand that the children are often equally anxious and stressed about their exams and results. So, as a parent, l now try to create a more supportive and empowering studying environment that is engaging rather than daunting. I allow my child to participate in the decision-making by allowing him to create his own timetable. The accountability and relaxed approach have made my child more responsible and he is not only scoring better but also enjoying the learning journey." Sangita Gopinath, a communication professional, said, "Just keeping the study desk and environment clean helped my daughter. Often cluttered and dirty environment blocks the mind which induces stress. Apart from the clean environment, it's really important to prevent your kid from all kinds of germs and infections. My daughter is appearing for 12th boards this year and her big fear was that she will fall sick during exams. To prevent that I clean my house twice a day to be extra careful during the exams to ensure my daughter's environment is germ-free." Ajit Asthana, Principal of a renowned school in Uttar Pradesh and father of two kids, said, "Every child is different and they have their own way of grasping knowledge. So even a slow learner, is still a learner. Be patient and ensure you celebrate every little achievement and unleash innocent joy. The feel-good moments can go a long way in making exams less distressing."

Swati Srivastava, a homemaker from Lucknow said, "The power of soft music is well-established as it affects our emotions and can be an extremely effective stress management tool. Soothing music can slow the pulse and heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease stress hormone levels, and distract us from our worries. When people are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, there is a tendency to avoid actively listening to music. Perhaps because it feels like a waste of time when there's so much to do and to worry about. But adding music to our day is a small effort that can produce great rewards since our productivity actually increases when stress is reduced. So, I have created a playlist on Spotify called Exam Fever with some soothing tunes and songs for my kids." Deepali Verma, HR professional and mother of a12-year-old girl, said, "My daughter is very sensitive by nature and easily gets hassled and disturbed even if she senses that we are anxious. So, we try to stay calm around her. Yes, exams can be stressful for the parent, but one needs to stay calm rather than add to the anxiety of an already worried child."