Let’s be honest — exam season can feel like a second full-time job. Between managing meetings and mealtimes, working parents often find themselves doubling as tutors, counsellors, and cheerleaders. But fear not! With a little planning and a lot of patience, you can support your child and stay sane.

Here are some friendly, tried-and-tested tips to help you through:

1. Create a Calm, Consistent Routine
Kids thrive on routine, especially when stress levels rise. Try to keep mealtimes and bedtimes consistent. Even if you’re working long hours, small things like a shared breakfast or evening check-in can offer stability — and show your child you’re in this together.

2. Build a Study-Friendly Environment
You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy home office. A quiet, clutter-free corner with decent lighting does the trick. Remove distractions (hello, phones!) and keep essentials like water, snacks, and stationery nearby to minimise excuses for mid-study wanderings.

3. Be Their Cheerleader, Not Their Coach
Unless you're secretly a maths whiz or Shakespeare scholar, your job isn’t to reteach the syllabus — it’s to encourage. Let teachers do the heavy academic lifting. You focus on building confidence, reminding your child of their strengths, and celebrating small wins.

4. Make Space for Downtime
Burnout is real, even for teens. Encourage breaks, fresh air, and tech-free zones. A short walk, a family movie night, or simply chatting about anything but exams can do wonders for everyone’s mood.

5. Stay Informed, Stay Involved
Check in with school emails or parent portals so you know what’s coming — and when. Understanding the exam timetable or key transition deadlines helps you plan better and avoid last-minute stress.

6. Keep Perspective
 Results matter, but they’re not everything. If your child is heading to a new school, college, or apprenticeship, remind them (and yourself!) that learning is a journey. Success comes in many forms — resilience, curiosity, kindness — not just grades.

Above all, be kind to yourself. You’re doing a lot. Supporting your child through exam season while working isn’t easy — but your presence, encouragement, and love are more valuable than any revision guide.

You’ve got this. And so do they.

PS If you want to stimulate your brain outside of the workplace, check out the Philosopher-in-Residence blog – out fortnightly on Thursdays, courtesy of Make Me A Plan’s Principal Planner, Anna Pascoe. Browse the latest edition here:

https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/on-amazement/