How to Reduce Exam Anxiety in Kids? Here Are Some Helpful Strategies!

School exams have always been a big cause for worry for children in general. With today’s educational standards stakes running high, it has also led to higher stress levels.

Today children have to go through various levels of tests. As they reach high school, they go through various exams before they graduate.

Even if you are a student who scores high or you may struggle to get enough marks, anxiety may disrupt your normal life.  However, parents can help their children get rid of the constant stress.

If you are really worried about a child’s anxiety hitting through the roof during school exams, both online and offline, then it is important to talk to it out with a child counselor. However, there are simple yet effective ways you can try it out at home to ease your child’s anxiety.

Getting Enough Sleep is a Prerequisite

With rampant gadget usage sleep often eludes even the little kids and lack of proper sleep often makes them irritable and not at their efficient best. They may even doze off in the middle of the day when they are in the middle of school, this may make them more anxious than usual.

Getting enough sleep is particularly important right before the exams. As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, children ages 6 to 12 need at least 12 hours of sleep every night, whereas teens require eight to 10 hours.

The best way to ensure sound and quality sleep is to reduce the use of gadgets, particularly an hour before hitting the sack.  The AAP recommends reducing screen time from gadgets such as TVs, tablets, computers, and cellphones and keep them out of your child’s bedroom.

Kick-off Your Kid’s Day with Protein

Fuel up your child’s body early in the morning. Ensure you load up their plates with adequate protein and ban all kinds of sugary cereal; although they are a popular choice among kids. But they may not often be the right choice as they may make you high on energy for one moment and they may experience a drop in energy levels, the next.

You can combine your carb source such as a multi-grain toast with scrambled egg or turkey bacon to provide sustained levels of energy till lunch and your kid does not experience an energy crash in between two meals.

Be There for Your Children During Exam Time

A child may start feeling alone and anxious right before an exam. Talk to them about studies. Ask them if they require help, and keep aside at a specific time of the day for study. If your child more help ask the teacher for suggestions or more study materials or even online practice tests to seek more help for your child.

Discuss Test-Taking Strategies with Your Kids

 Test-taking strategies are great options for helping your child prepare them for the exam ahead. The hacks include practicing deliberate slow breathing techniques to calm down before a crucial test.

Many teachers advise the students to complete the easy questions first and then tackle the harder ones. Going through the regular trappings like reading all the instructions carefully and double-checking all the answers can also help the students less anxious and more confident.

If your child needs special education services, find out if they are eligible to get extra time to round off the exam, or your child may also have someone to read the questions aloud to them. These small yet significant accommodations may help your child get to improve their mental being and feel more confident to take the tests.

Remind Your Kids of the Past Success

There are some states such as Missouri and New York that have unlimited time limits on state tests and children do not have to worry much about finishing the paper in time. Unfortunately, it may not always lessen the anxiety load. Kids may feel extra pressure when their progress gets compared to peers and start judging themselves.

To save themselves from the additional botheration kids can improve their memories with the help of various testing processes.

Make your kids remember the time when they went on to excel in a test they had been worried about in the past. This may instill in them a sense of confidence and a feeling that if they had been able to do well, in the past, they can repeat history and do equally well, if not more.

Well, ensure, you continue to give your children pep talk to make them feel better and more confident about themselves. Make them understand you have faith in them and they will do well, even if they do not, there’s always a next time to score good marks and do well for themselves.