Wellbeing

Supporting your child through exam week: Tips for parents

School exams, particularly VCE exams, can be a very stressful time for teenagers. Stress around exam time can affect all areas of a young person’s health including their general wellbeing, physical health and mental health.

Supporting your teenager during exam time can benefit their study and overall health and enable a calm home environment. Here are some tips which you may find helpful to support your teen to manage exam stress.

1.           Maintain a positive attitude and talk to your child: Create a supportive and encouraging environment at home and give them a chance to talk about how they might be feeling. Express confidence in your child's abilities and remind them that they have prepared well. Avoid adding unnecessary pressure or stressing about the outcome.

2.           Ensure a balanced diet: Help your child maintain a nutritious diet throughout the week. Provide them with energy-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein, which can enhance cognitive function and sustain their energy levels.

3.           Encourage relaxation techniques and good sleep hygiene: Encourage your child  to use various relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or mindfulness practices – there are various apps that can provide them guidance on how to do this. Ensure that your child is having adequate sleep and maintaining a sleep routine of regular bedtimes. Sleep and relaxation techniques can help them manage stress, improve focus and memory, and enhance overall well-being.

4.           Assist with organisation: Help your child organize their study materials, such as textbooks, notes, and stationery. Ensure they have a clear understanding of the exam timetable and any specific requirements for each subject.

5.           Be flexible and adaptable: Understand that your child's needs may vary during this crucial week. As there is lots of pressure at exam time, removing the additional tasks at home can be helpful to a young person. Giving them less of their regular chores at home will free up more time for them to study. Allow your child to have flexibility with their schedules by encouraging them to balance their time for study but also make time for activities that they enjoy.

Leah Rintoule

Student Wellbeing Coordinator

eSmart Week

We recently marked eSmart week at school with information on Teams for students and some classroom activities.  This is a reminder to us adults to talk to young people about what is happening online. 

Working in Wellbeing, I often come across students facing issues which related to online conversations. These issues can impact their schooling, even if they happen outside of school. Often the young person has avoiding telling an adult out of fear or embarrassment. If there was an open dialogue about eSafety at home some of these issues could be avoided. 

Good questions to ask young people include;  

1) Are you your best self online? 

2) Have you ever felt unsafe online? 

3) What could you do if you did feel unsafe?  

4) What do you share online? 

For more information on how to keep your family safe online check the eSafety Commissioner website which has fact sheets and videos on topics like; online abuse, parental controls, gaming, sharing information and even has a tech gift guide. eSafety website Parents | eSafety Commissioner

FREE Parent webinars https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

Translated information https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/online-safety-book

Claire Walker 

Mental Health Practitioner