by Bridget Webber

Created on: May 20, 2007

Stress can affect anyone of any age by making them unable to think clearly. Being stressed is a little like being in a state in-which you are stuck and can see no way out of. For a child during the time of tests this can affect their results adversely.

Stress for a child may come from worry about the actual test itself which is felt in the form of performance anxiety. This is where someone fears that they will not come up to standard or may make a fool of themselves. Sometimes parents who mean well put pressure on their child to be the best and the child is then in a permanent state of anxiety trying to fulfill the parents idea of the high standards to be achieved. At other times this pressure comes from the child wanting to perform well so that they fit in with their peers.

When a child is worried about an upcoming test they may either stay up late studying and loose sleep or may feel so anxious that they practice avoidance and therefore don't study for the test at all. To relieve worry they sometimes form a study group so that they are not alone and end up frightening each other about the test by talking about it so much. This ,of course, causes even more stress.

Stress can be linked with a downward spiral of belief in ones abilities. This makes a child feel confused during a test which can force them to answer questions incorrectly when they would have usually known the answers without any trouble.

We all have to go through tests as children but relieving the stress involved is to be welcomed. Making sure that the child has had enough sleep the night before a test is important and also giving them encouragement without too much pressure. My mother used to say to me before a test that I should do the best that I could, to the best of my abilities and whatever the result was, it would definitely be good enough as far as she was concerned. This always made me feel better and I still remember it now when faced with any situation which I find challenging.

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