Children taking the NNAT can become stressed out, and a stressed out child is one that is hard to help. The NNAT is extremely important to your child’s future, and it can be hard not to have your stress over this test rub off on your children. Children are very intuitive and can pick up on your stress over the NNAT test. Children should not be too stressed out over NNAT prep and I assembled some good tips below to help them relax.
- Get out and Play: One of the best ways to de-stress, especially from NNAT prep, is to get out and play! Running, jumping and playing games will help distract your child from the upcoming test and will let them get out excess energy.
- Think of happy places: This may be an old trick, but it is one that works. Tell your child when they are getting too worked up, to think of a time when they were really happy. Maybe it was the vacation to Disneyland or maybe just the park down the street, but thinking of it should help your child relax from NNAT prep stress.
- Meditation: This can be a hard one to sell to children, but if you teach them correctly, it can help reduce their stress levels. Tell them to sit still, and to breathe in slowly and deeply, like they are filling up a balloon! As they breathe deeply, tell them to think of something that makes them happy. This should help them calm down and re-focus on NNAT prep.
- Laugh together: Sometimes all a child needs to do is let out a little steam through laughter. When they seem particularly stressed, put on their favorite funny TV show, read them their favorite funny book, or just be silly until they start laughing!
NNAT prep can be a very stressful time in your child’s life. Follow these tips and the tips in the video below to relax your child and focus back on NNAT preparation. Good luck on the NNAT!