- One in four parents say they lie awake at night worrying about children’s exams
- Over half of parents report the home being hit negatively by exam stress
- Mums more than twice as likely to take on the greatest responsibility for managing their children’s revision than dads
- One in five of parents earning less than £25k per year are as stressed about exams as they are about bills
More than half of households (51%) are being negatively impacted by exam stress and 45% of parents say they’re more stressed about their children’s exams compared to them, according to new research commissioned by online learning platform MyEdSpace.
The Censuswide survey of 1,000 parents whose children are sitting exams this year has uncovered that exam stress is having a significant impact on their day-to-day lives across the UK. One in four (24%) parents report difficulty getting to sleep as a result of stress, and nearly one in five (17%) have cancelled social engagements to stay home to manage stress and support their children during the exam revision period.
The research also suggests mums shoulder much more of the exam-season pressure. More than a third of mums (39%) say they take primary responsibility for managing revision compared to 15% of dads. Yet 36% of dads believe responsibility is shared equally, compared to only 15% of mums.
This exam stress is also particularly pronounced in lower income households, with more than one in five (22%) of parents with a household income of less than £25,000 reporting the stress of exams compares most closely to the stress of paying bills.
Parents often put their own stress aside to support their children during exam season, but the research shows it is still affecting how they parent. In the survey, 41% said exam stress has changed their parenting style, with nearly one in three (28%) admitting they have tried to motivate their children to revise with rewards and bribes.
MyEdSpace believes too many parents sideline their own mental wellbeing during exams season, often to the detriment of both themselves and their children.
To help address this, the company has partnered with Clare Martin, founder of Goldcrest Training, a positive psychology consultancy, as part of its Easter Revision Course, a two-week schedule of live lessons designed to help students with their revision. Clare will be running a free webinars for parents on Thursday 26th March, providing practical advice on managing exam-season stress and supporting their children. She’s also running dedicated webinars for students on Tuesday 31st March and Monday 6th April.
Sean Hirons, co-founder of MyEdSpace said: “It’s well-known that students suffer from stress during exam season, but far less attention is being paid to the parents who are suffering in silence.
“Parents across the country are lying awake at night worried about their child’s exams but they’re given little to no support, and families across the UK are suffering as a result. What’s even worse is that grades inevitably take a hit as a result of this.
“That’s why we thought it was important to give free support to parents when we were developing our Easter Revision Course. Exams are important, but it’s even more important that parents and their children look after their mental wellbeing so they have all the tools to get through this period.”
Clare Martin, Founder & Programme Director of Goldcrest Training, said: “I’m really excited to be partnering with MyEdSpace to deliver wellbeing sessions for students and parents. Exam season can be an intense time and a small shift in how we understand and manage stress can make a huge difference.
“These sessions will give students practical tools to stay calm, focused, and confident, while also helping parents look after their own wellbeing and feel more equipped to support their child through the revision and exam period. This approach is grounded in positive education research, which consistently shows that wellbeing and academic performance go hand in hand.
Parents can sign up to the free webinar here and get 26 hours of free revision content for their children (including the two webinars designed for students) over the Easter holidays here.
