10 Tips to Deal with Exam Fear in Kids

With Exams nearing, kids feel overwhelmed with the amount they have to study most times. Fear of failure, performance anxiety, unrealistic expectations, and feeling unprepared contribute to a state where kids feel stressed, and these put Exam Fear in kids.

10 Tips to deal with Exam Fear in Kids

Signs that your child is under stress

• Anger or Frustration

• Oversleeping or Less Sleeping

• Nausea or pain in the chest

• Talking or feeling negative

• Sweating or increase in Heartbeat

10 Tips to deal with Exam Fear in Kids

1. Boost Confidence

No one likes exams. Even a well-prepared kid may feel scared to attend exams. Talk it out and assure them that they can deliver the best with their efforts streamlined.

2. Allow Play Time or Breaks

For one to be productive it is important to keep breaking the monotony. The monotonous study can leave a kid’s brain stressed and pressured. Allow them to go out and play for a while, take them out to the park or their favorite ice cream parlor. Refreshment is necessary for one’s brain to work at best.

3. Share the right perspective of Exam

All kids have their favorite subject and they tend to neglect other subjects. We need to explain them that their overall score is very important and low performance in any subject can lower their aggregate. Help them create a time-table inclusive of all subjects by giving more importance to subjects they need to work more on.

4. Help them Revise smartly

Most kids leave certain questions unanswered in exams for 2 reasons. One – they would have forgotten the answer or two – they would be worried about writing the wrong answers and making fool of themselves. We parents need to help them differentiate between re-reading and revising. Revising answers with a closed book and understanding the topic helps them remember the answers.

5. Healthy Eating

For your child’s brain to work well healthy and mindful eating is very important. Your child would be too stressed to eat while continuously studying. Keep junk food away and serve nutritious snacks to them. Check here for some Brain-Boosting Foods and click here to see some Healthy Snacks you can easily prepare at home.

6. Rest Adequately

With so much to study kids get into the wrong habit of being awake all night and studying. Adequate sleep is very important for one’s brain to process what is studied – to learn and to remember. Have a sweet talk and tell your child that he’s doing good just before he sleeps so that he has a peaceful sleep.

7. Physical Exercise or Meditating

Encourage your child to exercise regularly as this will boost their energy levels and help reduce stress naturally. Cycling, swimming, playing cricket or any physical activity for few minutes in a day is very important. Sit with your child and meditate for few minutes daily as this will help improve their concentration.

8. Stop Pressurizing

Don’t talk negatively about what would happen if the kid doesn’t study well, this is the main reason for Exam Fear in kids. Children would be better aware of the consequences, keep reminding them that their efforts matter, and not to worry about the results.

9. Stop Comparing

In India, it is predominantly common to compare one kid to another. Things become worse for a child who has a better performing or smart sibling. No adult ever likes comparing and kids wouldn’t either. Remember that shaming a kid will do no good to them.

10. Stop Bribing

It is quite prevalent to offer certain gifts to children based on their performance. The word bribing used in place of rewarding is for parents who feel that is the only way to make a kid perform, which is not true. Rewarding a child with sweet words and gestures is better than rewarding them with expensive worldly things.

Video: 10 Tips to deal with Exam Fear in Kids

• Video in Hindi – बच्चों में परीक्षा का डर मिटाने के 10 सलाह
• Video in Kannada – ಮಕ್ಕಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಭಯವನ್ನು ನಿವಾರಿಸಲು 10 ಸಲಹೆಗಳು

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