Stressed parents, stressed kids!

While admonishing children for things they didn’t do which they were supposed to, or for doing things the way we expected them not to do, remember, parents, they are going through some stress similar to exam stress, when you were of their age. Did you not throw a scornful glance at the elders who scolded you? Weren’t you stressed out one day before the exams and regretted you couldn’t do well at the boards?

Experts, psychologists and student counsellors advise parents to be educated on how to behave with the children before they can really educate and correct their wards in connection with the exams.

“Parents, please beware that your children too are individuals and they too have personalities. Push them towards their goals in such a way that they don’t get stressed out,” says Regi Oommen, Counselor at the CBSE system.

“Parents need to support their wards by getting them connected with their teachers so that they feel confident and secure every moment,” he adds.

“Exam stress is one of the worst cases of emotional disorders commonly found among the children”, says Gerry D’costa, Psychiatrist with Badr Al Samaa.

“Instead of getting stressed, students need to be more confident of what they have prepared till the previous day of the exam and should be regular with their revision work,” he said.

To get rid of the exam stress, counsellors advise a number of points to be borne in mind.

“In case any topic is left to be completed or/and are difficult to understand, children should immediately seek the help of their teachers or parents to have a quicker understanding, rather than wasting the time and getting tensed.”

Secondly, each student should be aware of the syllabus such as chapter-wise weightages and significant topics. This will help both low and high achievers. By knowing the syllabus, low achievers can have a selective study,” Regi adds.

Likewise, those aiming for high score should ensure that all significant topics are covered and also be thorough with all the questions being asked by CBSE in the past years.

Finally, take a mock test at home or school of full three hours of at least the core subjects and get it corrected by the teachers concerned (not to know how many marks are scored, also suggested that teachers should not write the marks), to understand the mistakes committed, so that the same type of mistakes doesn’t repeat in the examination.

“Exam is a time when children, especially the teens, go through a lot of stress and mood swings. This needs to be handled properly and a coordination of both parents and children along with the teachers is of paramount importance for the wellbeing of all”, adds Regi.