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Psychologist Rajini Nandakumar, says, “Parents should set an example by being relaxed. This will put less pressure on their children. Both need to realise that anxiety is not going to help.” And as Dr. Lakshmi advises,
The first step to helping your children cope is to start with your own expectations. Parents tend to put their expectations and anxieties of exams on their children, and children may not be able to handle the pressure. When it comes to CBSE results, “We know that there is no difference between a kid who scores 90 and one who scores 95. This has to be accepted by the parents and students; they need to move forward with what they get,” says Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder-trustee, Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre.
She says that for students who are disappointed about their exam performance, parents can console their children by telling them that it is not a failure on their part, but a failure of the system. Parents need to avoid comparing their children with cousins (or anyone else for that matter) when it comes to academic achievements. Otherwise that could cause children unnecessary stress.
Of course, it is true that if your child doesn’t get above the cutoff then he or she may not get into the university of her choice, and that may seem like all that matters at this point. However, with a expected growth in the number of skilled jobs in the coming years, there will be more career opportunities than ever before.
Hema Latha, a psychologist working with the 104 helpline has been handling calls from concerned parents and students. She told New Indian Express that there are many allied courses that parents can look at. Even if a child doesn’t get into MBBS, there are paramedical courses, for example. She advises both parents and students to consider all their options.
Here are some people who never went to college and still succeeded in life: Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Music, Virgin Atlantic Airlines and several other businesses; Carl Linder, Jr., who never completed high school but eventually owned Chiquita Brands, whose bananas are found even in India; Amanvio Ortega, the richest man in Spain, and owner of fashion brands such as Zara; Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, do we need to say any more?
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