Your top tips for keeping stress levels low during GCSEs?

[loveyouradvice]

Hi.... just five weeks to go until first GCSE paper....and today is the first day of holidays!

We're starting to think about how to best support her through her revision marathon.... and hoping she'll have lots of ideas when we plan over next few days.... She knows how she wants to do the revision and says she is committed to regular bedtimes (!)...

What are your top tips - from experience? Or things you're planning to try?

One friend suggested that you keep them doing the mundane tasks like emptying the dishwasher etc so they have downtime that isn't just mates and screens....

I'm thinking about suggesting some fun undemanding things that are satisfying and engage your brain so it isn't doing stress cartwheels.... like cooking or local dance classes to keep some sort of exercise going....

Seven of my DC have done GCSEs in the past ten years and the eighth is in Y11 about to start. I've never done a revision chart/ guide, never suggested (let alone insisted) on a set number of hours of revision, have left them to work out what they needed to do and when, strongly encouraged breaks especially getting out in the fresh air but xbox breaks also fine by me and the result has been overwhelmingly A* and the rest A, no Bs or under. I'm away from home at the moment but phoned my youngest DD to say ignore that thing about 7 hours just do what you feel like doing and no more and make sure you don't overdo it or you'll be worn out and bored.

Just seen your post MaisyPops. Agree with most of the suggestions except to say that different DC do things most productively in different ways so the standard school thing about 45 minute bursts works for some but not others.

Also my DC always have their phone/ fb to hand - doesn't seem to have hindered. Some kids prefer not to feel like they're revising in a cell. Basically, it's whatever makes them not stressed or resentful of time spent revising IME.

I second Maisy's panned time off. For anxious children who are revising for the next couple of months a full day off each week should be the aim. It isn't good for mental health to work 7 days a week for 2 months.

Time not revising is the key thing. DC differ enormously in how they like to revise and parents insisting on any particular model is likely to create stress, which includes insisting on 'a full day off'.

Trying to do some exercise each day here - gym with me, tennis with friends, squash with DH, cycling to shops to buy a new calculator (£27!!!!).
He has 2 days of pre- season cricket training next week, so will only be revising in the evenings those days.

Try not to become over involved . It's their exam, their life. If they haven't sussed out what works best for them by now, revision wise, you are only going to add to the pressure . They need to take responsibility for things by now .

DD is in school Tues, Weds, Thurs this week attending science revision sessions so today she has gone shopping for prom shoes with her friends.

I also made her tidy her room, even though she said she wouldn't have time to do that until after her exams. :)