Editorial

Parents During Exam Season: Support or Pressure?

ByAdoyo Immaculate

PublishedOctober 21, 2025

When exam season rolls around, it’s not just students who feel the heat, parents do too. The kitchen table turns into a study desk, phones disappear into drawers, and the air at home suddenly feels a little heavier. Everyone’s waiting, watching, hoping. It’s a familiar scene across the country: parents whispering prayers at dawn, preparing their child’s favorite meal for “good luck,” or offering one more “Have you revised?” before bedtime.

But somewhere between love and worry, encouragement can quietly turn into pressure.

When Support Becomes Stress

Many parents genuinely want to help their children perform their best. Yet in trying to do so, they sometimes pile on expectations that weigh more than the exam itself. Comments like “Remember your cousin got an A” or “Don’t disappoint us” might sound harmless, but to a nervous teenager, they echo as “If I fail, I fail my family.”

Psychologists often remind us that children mirror our emotions. If parents are anxious, pacing the living room during every paper, their children feel it too. Support shouldn’t feel like surveillance but rather like safety.

Being the Calm in the Chaos

So how can parents offer support without the pressure?
It starts with emotional presence rather than constant monitoring. Ask how your child is feeling instead of how much they’ve studied. Offer to take a short walk with them, share a light story from your own exam days (especially the funny mishaps), or prepare a snack break to remind them life exists beyond textbooks.

Creating a calm, steady routine at home also helps. Fixed meal times, adequate sleep, and positive words do wonders for focus. Even simple affirmations like “I’m proud of your effort” instead of “I hope you get top marks” can shift the atmosphere from anxious to reassuring.

Let Effort Matter as Much as Results

Every parent dreams of great grades — and that’s okay. But children need to know that their worth isn’t tied to a letter on a paper. Focus on praising effort, discipline, and consistency. Ask what they learned instead of what they scored.

When you emphasize growth, you teach resilience. And that’s far more valuable than a perfect mark sheet.

Reflecting on Our Own Expectations

Sometimes, the pressure we place on our children comes from our own memories — the exams we sat, the dreams we didn’t chase, or the standards our parents set for us. It helps to pause and ask: Am I supporting my child, or reliving my own past through them?

True support means walking with them, not ahead of them. Let your child know that you believe in them — not just as a candidate, but as a person learning to navigate life.

Final Thoughts

As exams unfold across the country, homes are filled with tension, prayer, and hope. But if there’s one thing children need most this season, it’s not another revision question — it’s calm, assurance, and love.

So, take a deep breath with them. Encourage them to do their best, and remind them that their best is always enough. Because sometimes, the quiet confidence of a parent is the best exam blessing of all.