Helping Teenagers Revise

Published April 8, 2018

As the exam season is fast approaching once again here are a few tips for parents who are faced with supporting their teens to revise for exams I published this first on hubpages and you can read the whole article by following this link 

Do’s and Don’ts

  • Encourage but don’t nag
  • Stay positive even if they aren’t
  • Don’t promise the earth if they pass – an incentive can be good but setting a huge reward may increase pressure in an unhelpful way
  • Don’t get caught up in their stress – it’s normal to be a bit worried but you need to stay calm as parents to support them
  • Encourage them to ease up a little on other pastimes just for the period of the exams (though they do still need some relaxation)
  • Teach them some strategies to cope with their stress – its an essential lesson in life these days
  • If they get into a rut with one kind of technique suggest an alternative – trying an online site when they are sick of mind maps for example
  • Remind them that it will pass and life does go on

Try To Remember 

  • It is a tough line to tread as a parent. Try to avoid nagging too much as often this has the effect of putting them off rather than encouraging them.
  • Encourage them to do short bursts of very focussed work.
  • Get involved ask what subject they are revising and offer help.
  • Make sure they have the equipment they need – a set of felt pens, plenty of paper of a few notebooks, a calculator and any subject specific tools like set texts for English.
  • A few little incentives can be good too – “Why not do another half hour then I’ll make you a hot chocolate” or something like that which will work for your own teenager.
  • As adults we sometimes realise that there is greater stress in life than exams but remember that for a lot of young people exams are terribly stressful.
  • Reassure them that you will love them whatever the results but that it is good to try our best as a general principle in life.