I have two children who are candidates. What must I do differently to ensure that they have a peace of mind during this examination period? Kabami Joyce Kirabo Doing exams can often be a nervous experience for most students and this can affect their academic performance. Sufficient preparation in this case is an important tactic to alleviate stress. As a parent, you are charged with a responsibility of helping your child study and make prior arrangements by providing a conducive reading environment like a study room at home. You can also agree with the children when to turn off all electronic gadgets such as television, radio and cell phones to allow them revise. Help to supervise the children to establish whether they have all the notes and relevant materials. You can help them to organise and have a timetable for the period running up to exams by guiding them to jot down the most relevant topics that have a high likelihood of appearing in the exams and then divide them sensibly by the days left. Put much effort on question approach with previous exams as a guide. This will help to discover exam setting tactics and areas where they still find problems and connect with their teachers to help them find possible solutions to them. Feed your children on nutritious meals and delicious snacks to improve their concentration and boost their memory. Nutritious meals not only support good health but also accelerate their mental capacity to perform standard tasks like sitting for exams. Ensure their good rest and enough sleep. Allow them time to wind up their activities and relax their minds. This is important for proper body functioning as it helps to refresh the mind and rejuvenate the capacity level of the brain to perform mental functions diligently. Make sure you provide all the necessary scholastic materials and inform them about their responsibility and importance of passing exams. Caution them against cheating during exams because it’s a dishonest act which can lead to disqualification if one is caught in the act. The writer is a counselor ***************** YOUR ADVICE: Gerald Mwesigwa Gerald Mwesigwa Teachers should not leave children to their parents alone. They should continue to guide them academically but also explain to these young children that the exams are not any different from what they have been doing. Eastone Ndayibasa Eastone Ndayibasa Your children need a break of about an hour-and-a-half so that they concentrate. However, they should not go very far from their teachers. Also, give them a peace of mind so that they revise freely. Paul Natwijuka Paul Natwijuka This is a very important stage in the life of your children. They don’t need your money or anything special. All they need from you is a message of hope and a very convenient environment. Denis Owoyesigyire Denis Owoyesigyire Being close to your children is very critical in such times. Boost their morale by availing yourself to them and keeping awayanything that might destruct them. For instance ensure that you have cleared all the school fees to avoid any disorganisation from the school. *********** Next week’s problem I would love to use this long holiday constructively. please advise me on how i can best spend my time. John
