Cold, clammy hands and a racing heartbeat.
That’s what test anxiety felt like for me many moons ago when I was in school. Now that I’m a parent, though, I’m trying to figure out how to help my kids manage test anxiety, and avoid the sometimes-crippling fear I felt before tests.
If you’ve ever experienced test anxiety, you know it’s real, and you know it isn’t fun. Not only can it make you tense and nervous before a test, it also can lower your performance level.
That’s why licensed psychologist Suzanne Collins, who works with children and families in Northern Kentucky, recommends the best place to start when dealing with test anxiety is helping your child be prepared.
“Obviously, there is going to be more anxiety if your kid isn’t prepared and really doesn’t know the information,” she said.
Of course, there are many kids who prepare plenty and still get anxious. For those kids, Collins recommends three ways to feel better on test days:
- Get a good night’s sleep the night before.
- Eat a good breakfast.
- Take a deep breath before starting the test and repeat a positive mantra (such as “I know this” or “I’m prepared for this”).
These tips should help your child, but for the kids who are super anxious ““ those who are thinking about worst-case scenarios like failing the test and failing the sixth grade, for example ““ the best way parents can help is by helping them think rationally.
“Anxiety makes us think irrationally,” Collins said. “Help your child recognize that one bad test grade isn’t the end of the world.”
And if your child does fail?
“Tell him or her that not everyone is going to be perfect every time,” Collins said. “Then help your child come up with some coping mechanisms that will help next time.”
