Education has become a very important aspect of society. Some say that education is the fourth necessity after food, clothes, and shelter! It is essential as it provides our children with knowledge about many things in life, as well as teaches them the right behaviour and manners.
Despite the amount of knowledge one can gain however, many children often feel stressed and pressured about going to school. This is no surprise, especially when society is all about getting excellent results, and anyone who gets less than average grades would be deemed to have “failed”.
Cracking under pressure
Have you ever nagged your child, or complained when she brought back exams results that were not as good as you anticipated? How about when she brought back great results, and you compared the results to your friend’s child, who did slightly better?
Parents always have their child’s best interests at heart, and believe that good grades are vital to be successful in life. This is why parents often push their children to achieve, and feel that they can do much better than they realise.
Unfortunately, this causes their children to feel anxious and worried about their academic achievements, which could eventually even affect their mental health if they are unable to cope. A recent study carried out by the Health Ministry revealed that out of more than 6,000 students from six secondary schools, 5.2% suffered from severe depression due to the pressure from preparing for exams!
Helping her cope
Achieving good grades doesn’t have to be something stressful, and you can help your child get excellent results in her exams, while leaving out the pressure at the same time. Here are some ways in which you can help your child cope with her studies:
- Understand your child’s learning style. Every child has her own learning style and method. Those who learn through activities or taking down notes are known as kinesthetic learners. Auditory learners learn much better when listening to verbal instructions. Others learn by using diagrams and pictures, and they are known as visual learners. Identify and understand which one suits your child better so you can use that method to help in her studies.
- Make study time quality time. Spend time with your children when they do their assignments and homework. This way, you can help her if she has any doubts, or see which subjects she has trouble coping with so you can get help for her, eg through tuition.
- Practise relaxation and refocusing techniques. It is important for your child to practise some relaxation techniques when she is feeling overwhelmed, under pressure, or just tired and distracted. This will help her refocus her energy on her work in a calmer and less stressful manner. Some of the techniques may include taking a walk or riding her bicycle, or even just watching television for a while.
- Compliment and encourage as often as you can. Every child has his/her own talents and limitations. Don’t try to compare her with someone else. Instead, acknowledge her efforts and praise her whenever she achieves something or comes back home with good results. Remember, learning should be fun, and not a stressful competition to see who gets the most medals and awards!
Getting good grades and a little healthy competition will not do any harm, and will even help your child strive towards achieving her goals.
However, things may get out of hand when she is unable to cope and handle the stress or pressure from studies and exams. Always remind your child to do the best she can, without feeling too much anxiety over her results.
Learning is all about gaining knowledge, and this should not be overshadowed by the need or pressure to reach excellence. Education is for making the child of today become the man or woman of tomorrow.
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