How parents can help their children

1 The greatest gift a parent can give their son or daughter is to assure them that, all you want from them, is that they give of their best. Nothing more should be expected or demanded.

2 Get a copy of the examination timetable and place it on your fridge door. You can ensure that your son/daughter is always in the school, at the right time and on the right day for each paper. During times of stress, mistakes about dates and times can often be made.

3 Ensure that your house is as calm a place as possible over the next two weeks. Your son/daughter will need to renew their batteries very quickly, after each day's papers, to prepare for the next examination.

4 A parent's most important role is to be a listener. Avoid postmortems on papers completed. They achieve nothing, other than to create frustration, regarding what should have been written. You should encourage your son/daughter to tell you the story of their day and move on.

5 It can be useful to preview the paper or papers immediately ahead. Simple questions such as (a) What is up next? (b) Are there any compulsory sections? (c) Are there any predictable questions that come up regularly?, can be very useful in helping a student focus their preparation for the next paper.

6 Parents can help to ensure that their son/daughter maintain a proper balance between study and rest. The most effective way of getting ready for the next paper, is to review the summary notes, prepared during previous study sessions and go to bed before 11.

If they feel the need to put in a little more preparation, they can always spend an hour in the morning preparing for today's exam rather than studying late into the previous night.

7 Nutrition and exercise are a vital part of every student's life over the next two weeks. At times of stress it is very tempting, to over-indulge in junk food. Avoid this as much as possible, by ensuring regular light meals are available.

8 If your son or daughter is meeting friends in the evening to prepare for the next examination, an adult presence at a discreet distance can ensure that they get the work done.

9 Before the last adult leaves the house each morning, check that your son/daughter is up and out of bed. Tired bodies can turn over and go back to sleep, especially if you have already left for work.

10 It can also be useful to check each day that your son/daughter has the pens, rulers, erasers, calculators, log tables, reading glasses, bottled water, etc, that they will need.