Students may not realize it, but even their parents are stressed during SAT time. You want the best for your student and you have to walk the fine line between nagging and encouraging that can be very challenging. You have to help your student with time management, keeping track of their schedules, getting to practices and events, and even going to work. Your plate is just as full as your student’s and on top of it all you have to help them do well on the SAT. You can relieve some of that stress.
Keep Communication Open
Open lines of communication are very important during high school. You don’t want any surprises about when SAT exam dates are, or other important events such as sports tournaments, band concerts, and final projects. Keep a large calendar in the kitchen or one online that everyone in the family can access. Hold a monthly family meeting where everyone can share their schedule. Then, if there are any conflicts, you have plenty of time to work them out or plan accordingly. Eliminating surprises from the schedule can go a long way toward reducing parental stress.
Homework
Homework can become a contentious point in every parent/child relationship. A parent can help encourage a student to do homework, but they cannot do it for them. Adding in test prep courses and coursework can be even more challenging. Don’t let piles of homework pile on stress. At Mr. Test Prep we don’t require any homework for our score satisfaction guarantee. That makes one less thing that you and your student have to keep track of or argue about.
Do Something Fun
It may help you both to do something fun together. Relationships can become strained when you are only talking about homework, test prep, and busy schedules. Set aside some time to go to a movie or out to dinner together. Spend time talking about other subjects. Building your relationship outside of school, work, and college applications will ease communicating about other, challenging topics.
Manage Your Stress
When you are feeling stressed, don’t take it out on your student. Manage your stress carefully so that you can maintain a healthy relationship. A peaceful, supportive life at home will help build your student’s confidence and allow them to focus more easily on preparing for the SAT and achieving their goal score.