Exam revision: Parental guidance

It's getting very close to exam time now, with students up and down the country hitting the books and existing in a bubble of work, work and more work. So whilst the students get down to business, this week's revision piece is for the parents!

Revising for exams is an extremely stressful and potentially all-consuming thing. It demands so much attention of the student and pretty much to the exclusion of everything else. As a parent, this is one of the times when your child needs you the most. Here are some top tips to help you give that all-important support.

Keep your child fed and watered with nutritious, regular meals. No doubt they'll want caffeine drinks and chocolate bars to keep the energy up, but these can lead to false highs, horrible lows and insomnia. Give them healthy snacks like fruit, nuts and smoothies instead.

Ease off on what your child would call "nagging". This is especially true if your child is doing A-levels or university finals and getting stressed about their entire future as well as the work at hand. Now is not the time to shout at them for not emptying the dishwasher.

Let your child know that, whatever happens, you'll still love them and support them. This is so important. Fear of failure is often bound up with a fear of disappointing the family, and fear can be debilitating. Do your bit to eradicate that fear and replace it with TLC instead.