Parents increasingly concerned about exam stress on children
Emily Watson
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Parents are increasingly worried about the stress that exams can put their children under, according to new figures published by young person's mental health charity YoungMinds.
Parents' calls to the YoungMinds parental helpline relating to worries about the pressure that exams are putting on their children have increased by nearly a third, according to the charity. A total of 1,058 parents called the helpline between 2009 and 2010, compared to 693 in the previous year.
YoungMinds Parents Helpline policy manager Claire Usiskin said: "This rise in calls is not surprising, with young people taking so many exams throughout their time at school and college and the added pressures of coursework."
Parents need to accept that exam time will be stressful for the whole family and is likely to affect young people's sleeping and eating habits, but there are lots of things that parents can do to help, she added.
Usiskin recommends that parents encourage their children to take regular breaks, eat healthy snacks, take exercise and respect their child's wishes to work at the time of day that suits them.
