INTERVIEW - DO PARENTS EXPERIENCE MORE STRESS THAT THEIR CHILDREN DURING EXAM
TIME?
● AS CHILDREN ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA PREPARE FOR EXAMS, IT’S OFTEN THEIR PARENTS
WHO FEEL THE MOST PRESSURE. NEUROSCIENCE AND MENTAL FITNESS COACH LIEZEL
VAN DER WESTHUIZEN SAYS THAT A PARENT’S STRESS DIRECTLY IMPACTS A CHILD’S
PERFORMANCE AND STAYING CALM IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO HELP KIDS SUCCEED.
● SHE SAYS, CHILDREN'S BRAINS MIRROR THEIR ENVIRONMENT,WHEN PARENTS REGULATE
THEIR OWN STRESS, THEY HELP THEIR CHILDREN ACCESS FOCUS, CONFIDENCE, AND
EMOTIONAL BALANCE DURING EXAMS.
● RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MILD STRESS CAN IMPROVE FOCUS, BUT CHRONIC STRESS
DISRUPTS MEMORY AND LEARNING. LIEZEL SAYS PARENTS CAN BUILD “MENTAL FITNESS”
THROUGH SMALL DAILY HABITS THAT CALM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND MODEL
RESILIENCE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
● WE ARE JOINED BY NEUROSCIENCE AND MENTAL FITNESS COACH, LIEZEL VAN DER WESTHUIZEN US ON THE LINE TO HELP
US HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.