The exam season is nearly upon us, this can be a very stressful time for children and parents alike.

Parents play a key role in helping their children develop skills for coping with the stress that exams can bring. Exams are one of the first of many deadlines your child will manage. How they learn and develop to cope with stress at this time will not only help them short term but also impact on their long term coping mechanisms of dealing with stress.
There are lots of ways to help your child deal with exam stress, from practical things like providing healthy food and helping them to getting motivated, to actually supporting your child and helping them with revision.
Here are some tips on how to help your child through the exam time:

•   Don’t place any unnecessary pressure on your child to gain certain grades.
•   Help your child but remember not to take over.
•   Encourage enough sleep and good nutrition.
•   Encourage your child to take regular breaks from studying.
•   Allow time for them to socialise with family/friends, as you do not want them to feel cut off and isolated.
•   Be supportive and help talk through any issues they may be having.
•   Be positive and encouraging, but keep the whole thing in perspective.
•   Reward your child for the amount of effort they have put in and not on the grades they obtain. Reassure them you are proud of the effort they are putting in and to not give up.
•   Do not compare them to siblings; this will make your child feel inadequate before they have even started.
•   Keep the home environment as calm as possible. Try not to put too many demands on your child, make allowances about chores not getting done or untidiness.

If you feel your child is becoming overly stressed with revision and exam preparation you can always look online for tips on how best to revise or talk to a teacher.
Remember stress is a normal part of life and can actually help to aid performance pre and during the exam.