Jacaranda time is exam time! Yes, the matric exam is already underway and even younger learners have started their final exams at some schools; others are busy with revision and finalising their exam preparation. Your kids’ exam can also be a taxing to you as parents and you may feel that your patience and resilience is tested tot the extreme. The thought of a 4-week long exam can be daunting to the most composed parent!
Why not try something different this year. Think of this exam as a family project. We love planning our family vacations down to the finest details – transfer those skills to your exam planning. Make it fun and include the whole family in the process! Have a picnic and plan under the trees. Or have a pre-exam break or braai and brain storm – the options are endless. Just get together and create your family’s exam plan. Project X: your family’s strategy to ease the end of year stress and tension and blueprint for success!
The key to an effective plan is communication. This is the ideal time to sharpen and deepen your communication within the family. You have an opportunity to discuss your expectations of yourselves and each other as a family unit. Take note of each person’s goals; make this the starting point of your plan: What will we do to ensure every one of us achieve our goals? Goals are not mere ideals, goals show as what we value, what we really need in our lives. Share your problems and concerns to create a greater understanding and appreciation of each other.
Get everyone to participate to ensure your plan allows for each family member’s needs and wants. Be specific about your expectations and include the specific rules you are not prepared to concede. Your objective is not just a well organised and serene household, but continued support and motivation of each family member. This is a win-win situation for all! Now is also a good time to decide on a suitable reward for everyone’s persistent efforts and successful results.
Some ideas and suggestions:
- Maintain balance. Remember, everyone still holds his own position in the family. The fact that someone is writing exam does not make him more important than others. It simply means he is focussed on exam success and therefore has specific needs - as everyone else.
- Get better organised. Order and structure help us feel more in control of our lives. Work out study programmes in good time and help everyone keep to it. Ease into the day by seeing to it that clothes, bags, lunch and other bits and pieces needed for the day get prepared the night before.
- Make sure your family enjoy a good night’s rest. Failure to get enough rest leads to lack of concentration and could therefore influence performance.
- Set a new family rule: everyone has to start the day friendly and happy. Being grumpy and moody in the morning easily becomes a pointless habit. Rather start the day with energy, enthusiasm and full of confidence.
- Make time for leisure, also as a family. Do things everyone enjoy and make time to chat – have dinner as a family. This creates an opportunity to discuss the day and to make sure everyone remains focused on their goals and don’t dwell on any problems or setbacks they may have experienced during the day.
- Allow everyone space. Sometimes we need to be alone to recharge and gather our thoughts – respect everyone’s needs, space and privacy.
- Be active. Exercise is not only good for our bodies, but counteracts the effects of stress in our lives and increases our sense of wellness.
- Be aware of your eating habits. Explain to your children what constitute healthy eating habits and why it is particularly important to eat healthily during this time. Make sure you all enjoy a nutritious breakfast (not sugar coated cereal) and drink enough water throughout the day.
- Be available. Ask your children how and where you can help with their academic work – maybe you can arrange for someone else to help with a specific subject? Make sure your child knows he can depend on your assistance at all time.
- Expect success. Success is within every family member’s reach – make sure you all believe it. Encourage your children by focusing on positives: reaffirm their strengths and remind them of all their previous successes.
Lastly, enjoy your role in your family’s success – it is your success. May your results far exceed your expectations – remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Die jakarandas is oral aan die blom om die eksamenseisoen te kondig! Ja, die matrieks is reeds aan die skryf en so ook jonger leerders by sommige skole; ander gebruik die geleentheid om aan voorbereiding en afronding te slyp. Vir sommige ouers is hierdie ‘n uitdagende tyd waar hul geduld en uithouvermoë soms tot die uiterste beproef word. Die vooruitsig van ‘n 4-weke lang eksamen kan selfs vir mees bedaarde ouer skrikwekkend wees!
Probeer hierdie jaar iets anders en pak die eksamen aan as ‘n gesinsprojek. Ons beplan so graag vakansies in die fynste besonderhede – fokus hierdie jaar eers op die eksamen. Maak dit pret en betrek almal by die proses! Miskien kan julle ‘n piekniek hou en onder die bome sit en beplan. Of dalk ‘n pre-eksamen wegbreek reël en bosberaad hou. Of saam braai en beraadslaag - die moontlikhede is eindeloos. Hoe ookal, sit saam en stel ‘n eksmenplan vir julle gesin saam: Kom ons noem dit Projek X . Maak seker almal verstaan hierdie is julle gesinstrategie om almal se einde-van-die-jaar angs en spanning vir te verlig en ook julle blouprint vir sukses.
Die seutel tot ‘n effektiewe plan is kommunikasie. Dis is ‘n ideale tyd om kommunikasie binne die gesin te verskerp en te verdiep. Julle skep ‘n geleentheid om oor julle verwagtinge van julself en mekaar te gesels. Neem kennis van elkeen se doelwitte; maak dít die vertrekpunt van jul plan: Hoe gaan ons seker maak elkeen van ons bereik sy doelwitte. Doelwitte is nie net ideale nie, dis dít wat vir ons belangrik en noodsaaklik is! Deel ook julle probleme en bekommernisse om ‘n groter bewustheid en waardering van mekaar te skep.
Maak seker almal het deel aan die beplanningsproses sodat julle plan voorsiening maak vir elkeen se behoeftes en vereistes. Wees spesifiek oor julle verwagtinge en sluit ook die spesifieke reëls wat julle as ononderhandelbaar beskou in. Jul oogmerk is nie net ‘n goed georganiseerde en rustige huishouding nie, maar ook volgehoue ondersteuning en motivering van mekaar. Dis ‘n wen-wen situasie vir almal! Besluit ook sommer nou hoe julle julself vir die volgehoue poging en suksesvolle resultate gaan beloon!
‘n Paar wenke en idees:
- Behou balans. Onthou, almal staan steeds hul plek in die gesin vol. Die feit dat iemand eksamen skryf maak hom nie meer belangrik as ander nie - net gefokus op sy eksamen sukses en dus spesifieke behoefte het, nes die res van die gesin.
- Raak meer georden. Orde en struktuur help almal om ‘n groter mate van beheer oor hul lewens te ervaar. Werk vroegtydig studieroosters uit en help almal om daarby te hou. Probeer om oggende vir almal makliker te maak deur toe te sien dat almal hul klere, sakke, kosblikke en ander benodighede vir die dag reeds die vorige aand regkry.
- Maak seker almal kry ‘n goeie nagrus. Te min slaap lei tot gebrekkige konsentrasie en kan dus prestasie beïnvloed.
- Maak dit ‘n reël dat almal vir die duur van die eksamen soggens opgeruimd en vrolik sal wees. Oggendnorsheid word so maklik ‘n gewoonte en dis onnodig. Begin eerder die dag met energie en lewenslus, vol selfvertroue!
- Maak tyd vir ontspanning, ook saam. Doen saam dinge waarvan almal hou en maak tyd vir gesels en kuier. Eet aandete saam. Bespreek die dag se gebeure en maak seker almal bly doelgerig, gefokus en slaag daarin om enige probleme of kwessies wat opduik op die agtergrond te skuif.
- Laat ruimte vir elkeen om tyd op sy eie te spandeer wanneer dit nodig is en so te herlaai en sy gedagtes wee te orden – respekteer mekaar se behoeftes, persoonlike ruimte en privaatheid.
- Wees aktief. Oefening is nie net goed vir ons liggame nie, maar laat ons goed voel en help om die uitwerking van stres in ons lewens teen te werk.
- Let op wat julle eet. Veruidelik vir jou kinders wat gesonde eetgewoontes behels en waarom dit juis gedurende hierdie tyd veral belangrik is. Maak seker almal eet elke dag ‘n voedsame ontbyt (nie suikerbedekte graankosse nie) en drink genoeg water.
- Wees beskikbaar. Vra jou kinders hoe en waar jy dalk met akademiese werk kan help– of dalk ken jy iemand anders wat beter kan help? Maak dit duidelik dat hulle enige tyd op jou hulp kan staatmaak.
- Verwag sukses. Sukses is binne julle almal se bereik – maak seker julle almal glo dit. Bemoedig jou kinders deur hulle weer te wys op hul sterkpunte en hulle aan hul vorige suksesse te herhinner.
Laastens, geniet jou bydrae tot jou gesin se sukses – dit is jou sukses. Mag julle resultate julle verwagtinge ver oortref– onthou, waar daar ‘n wil is, is daar ‘n weg!
|
