With exam season looming around the corner, your kids at home may seem broody, tense and stressed about revisions. Before revision season gets too intense, here’s how the rest of the family can come in to help lighten things up and ease the exam stress.

Help them make a study timetable

As the adage goes, “preparation is half the battle”. Creating a good study timetable is the first step towards good preparation for the exams. Your child may need hand-holding in strategising which subjects and which topics to spend extra time on, and how to complete their revisions in time before their paper.

Be gentle and patient as you guide them. Help them to see that if they are disciplined and stick to their timetable, they will enter the exam being well-prepared.

Declutter their study area

It’s hard to focus when we’re surrounded by clutter. Help your child to declutter their study area, whether it’s their bedroom, the study room or the dining table. Break up your decluttering efforts into smaller 15-minute sessions, or do a major operation with your entire family. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Respect their quiet time

Make it official family policy to not distract the kids while they are revising for exams. As tempting asit may be to chat them up, request little errands from them or catch up on your favourite dramas within their earshot, giving them a conducive environment to study shows your support and will help to put them at ease.

Go for walks together

Taking short walks with your child helps to reduce their stress levels and lets them unwind after a cramming session. 10 to 20 minutes of walking is a good duration to target. Use this time to have some light-hearted exchanges and catch up with each other, before they disappear again into their study corners.  

Check on how they’re doing

Invite your children to talk about their worries and anxieties with you. Offer your listening ear and listen to what they say without judging, interrupting or “correcting” their perspective. Connecting with them reminds them that you value and care about them, regardless of how they will perform at their upcoming exams. 

Encourage them to eat and sleep well

Exam stress can cause your child’s appetite and sleep schedule to go haywire. Remind them that it’s important to continue sleeping at least 8 hours a day. Bringing them their favourite nutritious foods could also help to cheer them up and feel loved amidst stressful times.

Reduce the pressure and expectations on them

If your child is looking visibly stressed, it might be a cue to reduce pressure and expectations on them to achieve a certain level of performance. Instead of focusing on the outcome, look at how you can strengthen their process: are they giving their best in preparing themselves for the exams? Are they feeling the joy of learning and are they self-motivated to succeed?