It can be difficult for parents to stand by and watch their children go through the rigours of exams, especially tough exams like NEET. Such exams can be hard on students considering the late-night cram sessions, unhealthy eating habits, over-doses of caffeine, and not to mention extremely high levels of stress. Whether your child has planned their preparation through crash course for NEET or are enrolled in a regular coaching institute, it is natural for them to be stressed out owing to the vast syllabus.
As a parent, you begin to wonder: What’s my role here? Where should I step in?
While you can’t write the exams for them, you can definitely help ease their exam stress in other ways. As a parent, you need to be cautious dealing with your child before, during and after the exam. Here are six things you can do:
- Recognize the Early Signs of Stress
It’s natural to experience stress when faced with exams. However, if your child is always stressed, and reaches the boiling point quickly, it’s time to act. Early intervention will help prevent the situation from getting worse. So, as the exam period approaches, look out for potential signs, like:
- Loss of concentration and focus
- Anxiety
- Changes in appetite
- Becoming isolated
- Becoming irritable and restless
- Insomnia
- Daytime tiredness
- Depression
- Headache
- Increased susceptibility to cough and cold
- Keep an Eye on Their Diet
Almost half of the young people giving exams say they have skipped meals due to anxiety. But our brain is a hungry organ and is the first in the body to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. Therefore, the diet of your child can make a huge difference to how they can learn and perform in exams.
While high-sugar, high-fat, and high-caffeine foods and drinks seem tempting, avoid these foods. Opt for nutritional and healthy options around the house to satiate their late-night hunger pangs. For instance, you can offer your child yoghurt, which is rich in protein and calcium and increases mental alertness. And if they don’t want to eat it plain, make buttermilk or lassi out of it.
- Encourage them to Take Regular Breaks
Most parents restrict their children from using their phones, watching television, or hanging out with friends whenever exams draw near. However, your child’s need for recreation and social interaction should be taken seriously.
Having your child mull over books and notes for long periods of time will hurt their ability to concentrate and retain information. Hence, encouraging them to take breaks at regular intervals will help them unwind, de-stress and recharge.
- Make Sure Your Child Gets Enough Sleep
Teenagers need anything between 8 to 9 hours of sleep at night. While your child may love their last-minute study plan, cramming all night before an exam is usually unfruitful.This is because lack of sleep makes last-minute bits of information more difficult to grasp and recall.
Your child might disapprove of having you monitor their sleep patterns, but stress upon the fact that good sleep will improve concentration and thinking.
- Help them to Create a Study Schedule
This literally does not translate into preparing an actual schedule for your child. Instead, let your child draw up their schedule and take an active part in assisting or providing them with a proper structure.
It will be tough for your child to stick to a routine if it is not comfortable. So, give your child the freedom to choose their own hours to revise and study. Limit yourself to observing the decisions closely and correcting only when necessary.
- Avoid the ‘Exam Dissection’
Children dread not only the tough exams but also their after-effects. Not all children come out of the examination hall all confident. Many questions may run through their mind after the paper– “What if I answered the last question wrong? What if I fail my paper?”
As a parent, you should not be too quick to criticize your children for their lack of confidence. Instead, help them relax and prepare, instead of dwelling on mistakes that they cannot change.
The Bottom Line:
In today’s world of cut-throat competition, parents play a huge role in curbing their child’s stress. Higher stress levels can come into effect when your child is under prepared for the exam. To help your child crack the entrance test successfully, you need to narrow down on the best pre-medical or engineering coaching centre. Enrolling your child in any of the top coaching institutes like Aakash Institute can prove beneficial in this regard. Being mentored and taught under the guidance of an expert faculty will only reflect positively on your child’s performance.
