Exams have been a constant source of stress in the lives of students who feel anxiety when preparing for and writing an exam.

The question then is: How can Parents help? Should they act as mentors, or as friends or be strict disciplinarians? Well, the answer is a resounding ‘yes' to all. And each role has a different function chalked out for them.

As mentors, parents can guide their children to formulate a plan. As friends, to their children they should listen to the concerns and worries of their wards and provide unconditional support. Lastly, as disciplinarians, they should ensure that a scheduled routine is followed.

Here are 10 things you can do to help your child deal with stress during exams:

1. Make sure your child has gathered all the notes required for the exams.
2. Communicate with the child to dwell into his/her perspective of the subjects/chapters they are struggling with.
3. Allow for open communication to flow rather than assigning the child with a fixed schedule or routine.
4. Enable the child to formulate their own time table and schedule.
5. Allow the child to gather resources/revision methods as they seem fit.
6. While giving space for the child to study, still have regular checkup days where you can assess the progress of their revision. That may come in the form of communication, written text or a house test.
7. Ensure that the child is getting sufficient amounts of sleep and nutrients.
8. Share with the child mnemonics methods, or easier tricks that may improve their comprehension and memory.
9. Enable the child to approach the required persons for clearing of doubts.
10. Act as a supportive channel and avoid using negative statements, rather reframe it to a positive approach. For instance, instead of using the words “You aren’t studying that’s why you score less every time.” Try reframing it to “You may not have achieved as much as you are capable of last time, how can you do better this time?”

Sometimes, parents fall into the trap of stress themselves. In our common goal of wanting the best for our children we don’t realise that sometimes we may act as a factor of the child’s stress. Hence, ensuring that we act as role models and as individuals who can deal with stress in a healthy manner will encourage the children to do the same. ‘Lead by example’ is the mantra one should follow.