With Boards Exams approaching, we spoke to a few children who will be appearing for their board exams this year, to understand what they expect from their parents and guardians. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts expected by the children.
(Excerpts from Tvisha (Class X), Aanya Prasad (Class X), Aarushi Kumar (Class XII) and Utkarsh Singh (Class XII)
Do’s that parents should follow
• Parents should have trust in us. • Parents should be open to different study techniques. • Parents should check with us if we need their help in studying. • Parents should pamper us by cooking or ordering our favourite food. • If we feel we are not prepared well, then parents must give some solution. • Parents must advise us to give our exams honestly. • Parents must keep some level of pressure so that we don’t take exams too lightly and repent later. • Parents should keep a positive home environment. • Parents should allow us to relax and take breaks. • Parents should sometimes take us out for dinner or for a drive as a break. • Parents should give us fruits and snacks during studies. • Parents should restrict our social media usage. • Parents should discuss non-academic topics with us to relieve mental pressure. • Parents should show us how they handle stress in their own life as a way of teaching coping strategies.
Don’ts that parents should Follow
• Parents should not scold or question us if we take a break. • Parents should avoid guests and parties at home as they are a big distraction. • Parents should be awake while we are studying to help us be alert. • Parents should not have very high expectations from us. • Parents should not pass nasty comments or compare their time with ours. • Parents should avoid constant nagging and deriding us about our dark future. • Parents should not force us to study and should not tell us how much to study. • Parents should calm us down when we feel conscious and lost during preparations.• Parents must not share their sob stories about their times and their board exams. • Parents should not compare us with our siblings or friends. • Parents should not force us for any career path. • Parents should not demotivate us (one of the reasons of increase in suicide rates). • Parents should not burden us with much household work. • If a paper doesn’t go well, parents should comfort us. • Parents should tell the younger siblings to stop disturbing and distracting us. • Parents should not be too controlling. • Parents should not project their anxiety which could give us more stress. • Parents should not dismiss our stress and should avoid minimizing feelings by saying things like “It’s just an exam.”• Parents should avoid creating a study bubble by isolating us from family activities. They should maintain a sense of normal family life. • Parents should refrain from over-planning post-exam activities. They must allow some spontaneity.
