From a parent’s perspective, watching as your children struggle to face their exams can be heartbreaking. In today’s context, even little children from the first standard to the fourth standard are buckling under the pressure of examinations. This sense of anxiety can be overwhelming leading to what is commonly known as “Exam Fear”. To face this phenomenon, let us understand the causes, signs and, most importantly, the strategies to address it.
At Nutrimind Care, Kochi, we provide solutions to help children combat exam-related anxiety through professional guidance and resources. If you’re looking for ways to understand or manage exam fear or want to explore an anxiety test online, we are here to support you.
Topics Addressed:
Causes of Exam Fear in Young Children
How This Affects Your Child’s Health
Overcoming Exam Fear
Causes of Exam Fear in Young Children:
Feeling nervous about exams is normal. However, excessive fear stunts the child’s ability to perform. This is especially damaging for children in the 5-10 age group. Here are some of the factors which contribute to the development of exam fear in them:
Pressure to Perform: Children experience pressure from several spheres of life including parents, teachers, peers, and parents of peers. They tie their self-worth to the marks they achieve, in order to impress these spheres, which becomes a great burden.
Poor Preparation: Children aren’t fully able to predict and prepare for consequences. Therefore, they leave their exam preparation till the last minute. Feeling overwhelmed by all the portions, they face heightened anxiety.
Negative Past Experiences: Previously, if children have been scolded or humiliated for the marks they earned, it can make exams and studying a deeply negative experience.
Parental Expectation: Without knowing, parents can place unrealistically large expectations on children which leads to a fear of disappointing them. This fear is translated further into a fear of exams themselves.
Peer comparison: Children compare themselves to their classmates in all aspects. If they struggle with academics, or are slow learners, this will create a dislike for exams because they can’t surpass their friends.
How this Affects your Child’s Health:
Exam fear may affect the mental and physical health of your child. Look out for the following signs:
Physical symptoms: You might notice that your child has bad stomachs, nausea, headaches, or even mouth sores manifesting on days leading up to exams.
Sleep issues: The anxiety caused by exam fear can make it difficult for your child to fall asleep. They may wake up in the night feeling scared and restless or have nightmares about studying or the exams themselves.
Erratic Moods: Their moods will change randomly and rapidly. They will seem more irritable, upset and frustrated.
Avoidance: They will do anything to put off studying, even house chores. They might start finding ways to avoid sitting down for study sessions or going to school on exam days.
Reduced Concentration: They may struggle to stay focused while studying and remembering what they have learned.
Overcoming Exam Fear:
Parents must take proactive measures to address exam fear. Some such strategies are:
Provide positive reinforcement: Reward every small step with praise and even some goodies.
Develop a routine: Put together a daily schedule filled with ample breaks and time for play to create a consistent and gradual learning curve. The structure will also provide a sense of comfort.
Arrange a study space: Create a study corner at home. Make it comfortable, quiet and distraction free to aid focus. Allow the child to add some decoration so they enjoy being there.
Teach relaxation techniques: Equip your child with relaxation tools such as breathing exercises, stretching exercises, visual imagery, and self massaging to address anxiety and nervousness.
Prepare ahead: Break the portions into manageable chunks and schedule it over time for your child to learn and revise. This will build confidence in the material.
Mock Tests: Recreate the exam environment at home with mock tests to help your child tackle the exam atmosphere in a safe and familiar environment.
Communicate with Teachers: Communicate your child’s needs and request for support, which can be emotional support, feedback, resources and exam accommodations.
Discuss Exams Calmly:
Exam fear is a growing concern in today’s world, for children of all ages. This is due to the demanding nature of school curriculums and increasing standards of excellence. Address your child’s fears with care and understanding. Customise a routine to give your child the structure they require to face this competitive atmosphere.
Our goal is not to eliminate fear but to equip your child to overcome it. At Nutrimind Care, Kochi, we offer guidance and resources to help children overcome challenges like exam fear. Does your child need additional support? Would you like your child to try an anxiety test to assess the situation? Contact us. We will help you empower them to face challenges with confidence and resilience.