Teenagers
A bit of exam tension is fuel. What I worry about is the teenager who is still rewriting notes at 1 a.m., who has stopped eating properly, who cries over a mock, or who has gone blank in the paper they knew. That is not laziness. That is a nervous system that believes the result is the self.
Parents help most by becoming less of a second examiner. Protect sleep like a medical instruction. Agree a stop time. Take one comparison off the table — relatives, toppers, last year’s sibling. Ask “how is your body?” not only “how much did you finish?” A short walk, food, and a boring evening are study strategies.
If there are panic attacks, vomiting before papers, total avoidance, or a drop in mood that lasts beyond the exam week, that is a clinical conversation, not a motivational one. Teen counselling can teach the body to come down, and can ask whether something else — perfectionism, ADHD, a harsh inner voice — is sitting underneath the syllabus.
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Adolescence brings real pressure—exams, friendships, identity, family expectations. Teen counselling provides a confidential space where young people …
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