DT Health: Keep a tab on children’s mental health in exam season

CHENNAI: With exams round the corner and students are stressed it can be difficult for parents as well. Concerns regarding the children’s exam preparedness are just the beginning of a parent’s worries. In addition to being concerned about their future, we also realise that not all parents examine their kids’ mental health.

Recognise that, like a rubber band, your child has a capacity and saturation point. It depends on the size of the rubber band on how far it can be stretched, like that similarly the child’s mind has a certain amount of elasticity to stretch, but only to a point where it can be tolerated before cutting off. “Parents should not command or treat them as if they were prisoners and avoid comparing their marks with the fellow students,” said Mumtaj Begam, counselling psychologist, Fortis Hospitals.

She added that marks are not your child’s personality; it is simply the sum of the right answers. They are uniquely original. Identify who they are, try to motivate them consistently. It is the parents’ duty to help them understand the ideas and concepts. And, it is important that they should have faith in their children rather than judging and labelling them.

Visual learners retain knowledge better when it is presented to them in the form of graphics such as arrows, charts, graphs, symbols and more. Like how designers use visual hierarchy to emphasize specific design elements, visual learners benefit from clear representations of knowledge hierarchy. By concentrating on the written word, teachers may help their students achieve success with written content on worksheets, presentations and other text-heavy tools. These kids take notes and when they have access to written material, they perform well.

“The mind is a very potent tool. It is essential to feed the mind with constructive thoughts, optimism and positive feelings to preserve one’s mental health and grow in life. Anything you choose to focus on will manifest into your life, according to the law of attraction. As a result, it is essential to emphasise the importance of developing a positive view on life,” said another city-based psychologist.