Psychologists emphasize that families play a key role in helping children navigate this difficult period of the school year. They help alleviate stress and anxiety and create a stimulating environment for students to complete their assignments.
To create the right environment to help children study, prepare well for their end-of-year exams, and achieve their desired results, we present in the following report a review of real-life experiences and the views of educational psychology.
How does your child overcome exam anxiety?
Psychologist Dr. Nabil Mohammed Al-Amoudi pointed out that it is essential for every family to understand that each person is born with unique skills and talents. Many families are unaware that one child is better suited to a specific number of hours of preparation than another. If families understand each child's situation, it will be easier to help them navigate the exam period successfully.
Al-Amoudi told Al Jazeera Net that there are a number of negative behaviors that parents should avoid during exam preparation, including using entertainment media, video games, television, and the internet. He explained that these media should not be banned entirely, but their use by families should be regulated to prevent children from becoming distressed and bored with studying.
Another major negative point that must be avoided, as Al-Amoudi pointed out, is parents resorting to violence to push their children to study. This is an uneducational and unacceptable method that has a very negative impact on children. Violence may make the child appear to the father or mother that he or she is engrossed in studying, when in reality, he or she is merely pretending to be so out of fear of punishment. Meanwhile, his or her mind is distracted, and instead of thinking and concentrating on studying, he or she is preoccupied with the type of punishment he or she may receive if he or she fails. Instead of violence, what is required is compassion, instilling confidence, self-reliance, and a lack of fear of failure.
Al-Amoudi stressed the importance of families providing a suitable environment for exam preparation, such as providing a certain type of lighting in the home, preparing different types of food, avoiding noise from guests and television, and organizing children's time so that there is a specific time for studying, another for sleeping, and a third for eating and resting.
Al-Amoudi emphasized the principle of rewards, asserting that it is a fruitful educational approach. Therefore, promising children a generous reward if they achieve high exam scores has a positive impact and instills healthy competition among them.
A little stress.. A lot of focus
In an article on the Mayo Clinic website , Dr. Craig N. Sawchuk says, "Feeling a little nervous before an exam is normal and can help sharpen your mind and focus your attention. But if test anxiety takes over, feelings of worry and self-doubt can interfere with your exam performance and make you miserable."
Sawchuk emphasized that there are steps that students or their children must take to overcome this period, including learning how to study more effectively and organizing their study times on a consistent basis. He explained that it is better for students to study at home for short, consistent periods every day, rather than cramming everything they study at once. He also emphasized the importance of doing some exercise the night before the exam, which helps relieve stress.
Planning well before exam time
Regarding the experiences of some mothers in overcoming this period and how to plan for it, Rana Kamal, a doctor and mother of two, said that she instilled in her children the principle of planning their studying well in advance of exams, for several reasons, the most important of which is that the children are aware of all the subjects they are studying, in addition to the fact that during exam time they can focus on some points that were not studied well, which reduces stress during this difficult period. Rana indicated that she leaves it to her children to develop a study plan according to their desires without any interference from her.
Set a fixed bedtime
Rana emphasized that there is another step that must be followed before exams, which is to set a fixed bedtime for her children in order to regulate their body clock, and to get some rest that gives their minds the ability to focus greatly. She continued, “I fully understand the differences in the abilities of each of my children in terms of comprehension and concentration, and I understand how to deal with each of them in a different way,” stressing that any mother’s failure to understand this difference may cause fear and anxiety in the souls of the children if they do not get the result their parents hope for.
recreation period
Rana stressed the importance of not neglecting entertainment during the exam period, so that the children do not get bored, whether by playing or going for a walk for a while and then returning to studying again with enthusiasm, pointing out that following a pressure system and preventing any means of entertainment produces negative results, and she continued, saying, “I applied this harsh system to myself during my study period when I was a student, and it caused me to lose focus and became depressed, so I decided never to practice this pattern with my children again.”
Goa setting and the role of the father
As for Rasha Imam, an interior designer and mother of three girls, she says that she and her daughters moved beyond the idea of getting top marks. It was more important for each of them to have a goal to work toward, which would instill in them the enthusiasm and energy to accomplish their goals, rather than putting pressure on them to get top marks.
Rasha continued, "During this period, the father's role cannot be ignored. The father's presence and participation with his children during this period is essential in spreading encouragement. In addition, there must be two parties within the home, one of whom follows a gentle approach and the other follows a strict approach if necessary."
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