Study without stress is a growing trend in education worldwide. Countries such as Australia, Singapore, and China have implemented measures such as exam reductions and no tuition or homework policies to ease pressure on students. Despite these changes, parents still play a vital role in supporting their children’s emotional well-being. Read on for 8 often overlooked ways parents can help their kids navigate their busy school lives.
What is school stress?
School stress refers to the pressure that students experience due to academic demands, exams, homework, and extracurricular activities. Studies show that even primary school students experience notable levels of anxiety and stress. It can manifest in physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches, changes in behavior such as mood swings or irritability, and emotional distress.
How does school stress impact your child?
While a healthy dose of stress may serve as motivation, excess stress can harm a child’s physical and mental health. It can result in sleep problems, poor concentration, and even long-term issues like anxiety or depression. These can significantly harm their physical, psychological, and social well-being. Early-life chronic stress is viewed as a precursor to academic failure because it undermines a child’s capacity to learn effectively and enjoy school.
How do schools promote study without stress?
Governments and schools worldwide are actively responding to the growing school stress concerns. For example, some Australian schools have adopted a ‘no homework policy‘ for almost a decade. While Singapore has removed certain exams for primary and secondary students in recent years. Similarly, China introduced the Double Reduction Policy in 2021 to ease homework and tutoring pressures. While reducing structural stressors from the system is a solution, the ultimate key is to empower students to tame and manage stress effectively.
How to help your child be motivated to study without stress?
Despite the changes in the school policies and systems, parents also play an essential role in their children’s growth. Here are eight parenting tips for you to promote your child’s well-being and resilience in learning:
1. Be their cheerleader
Encourage your child to talk about their feelings. Listen without judging, offer reassurance, and acknowledge their needs. Know that school is a long-term process — one immediate success or failure will not determine your child’s life. Show them constant love, support and presence during both the ups and downs.
2. Understand their learning style
Recognize that children have different ways of learning and working. Some prefer doing homework all at once, while others need frequent breaks. However, studying without stress doesn’t mean no hard work at all. Discuss with your child the best conditions for homework success.
3. Define success together
Discuss the values that you and your family prioritize, such as curiosity, self-discipline, critical thinking and integrity. Remind your child that success is a lifelong journey, not just about grades. Instill a growth mindset of “I can” and “yet” in your child to build resilience, determination, and readiness to take on challenges even when facing setbacks at school.
4. Create a balanced schedule
Work with your child to develop an effective schedule that allows time for homework, projects, and revision while also making time for activities, sleep, and play. Teach your kids to set SMART goals and practice time management. After all, study without stress is about breaking big tasks into smaller ones to improve productivity.
5. Make time for family and friends
Another way to avoid burning out is to recognize the importance of playtime, downtime, and family time. This can be as simple as having family mealtime, taking walks, and visiting friends and relatives together. Quality family time and social interactions provide your child with feelings of love, acceptance, and support.
6. Watch your messages
Be mindful of the messages you send your child about success and study without stress. Instead of focusing solely on grades or fun-making, ask about their day, what they learned, and if they enjoyed spending time with friends. Focus on holistic success and meaningful learning experiences. Check out the effective after-school conversation starters here.
7. Recognize signs of school stress
Keep an eye out for signs like mood swings or trouble sleeping, especially if it’s close to the test period. Other signs can include headaches, stomachaches, procrastination, and reluctance to attend school. Sit down with your child to figure out the stressors, and then work toward solving the issue.
8. Encourage self-care
Encourage your child to take breaks and do non-academic activities they enjoy. For example, drawing, outdoor outings, or even simply taking a Me-moment to daydream. Self-care is crucial for children to recharge and maintain their well-being.
About Spark Education
Spark Education is a global online education provider founded by a father’s desire to address the issues his son faced in traditional classrooms. This resonates with former Singapore Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, “We have to balance the joy of learning and the rigor of education.”
Spark integrates research-driven teaching methods with technology to enhance students’ learning experiences and academic achievements globally.
Our flagship online program, Spark Math, is loved by both parents and children. Aligning with the latest national syllabus, our experienced teachers nurture higher-order thinking skills, and builds math confidence in your child.
Our interactive courseware also includes high-quality animated explanations, gamified learning tasks, relatable storylines and catchy songs to help your child understand concepts effectively and develop a genuine interest in math.
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