Exam Perspectives: Helping Your Teen Deal with Stress - Episode 6 Teen Clinic Podcast

Parents At Work Podcast

We build our teens up for 13 years to prepare for the HSC or their final exams and then cannot understand why we see such high rates of anxiety. How do we help our teens keep exams in perspective from the start? In this episode of the Teen Clinic Podcast youth advocate, teen expert, and mother of three teenagers - Lucy Dahill from Why Be You - discusses the pressure teens feel from impending exams and how parents can help them cope with their desire to succeed and fear of failure. Lucy explores the sources of exam stress including teachers, parents, peer-pressure, self-expectations, and societal-expectations. Furthermore, she encourages you to look at the coping mechanisms teens are using (such as alcohol and comfort food) and get a feel for whether they are beneficial for your teen (or not) even if you believe they personally help you to reduce stress. Lucy reminds us that your teen’s perspective of exams won’t change overnight and that it will take patience and role-modelling to make any notable shifts in teen behaviour.