1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Seven oh two Weekend Breakfast and Parenting with Nicky Bush. 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 2: It's eleven minutes after eight o'clock. Welcome back to your 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 2: seven or two weekend Breakfast. It's a very special broadcast 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 2: of the show coming to you live from the Ghost 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 2: Mountain in MKUSE where we are with the President Film 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: Tourism and Film Authority joining you this morning. 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: Time for us to talk parenting. 8 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: So it is that last stretch of the year which 9 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: means exams and whether you are you know, a student 10 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: that tests really well, your top of the class, or 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 2: you're a student that's not necessarily academically gifted, exam season 12 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 2: just can be a little bit stressful for everyone. That 13 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: will includes parents as well care givers I imagine for 14 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: teachers as well. And so what we're looking at this 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 2: morning is how to support your children during exam season. 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: But I also want to hear your stories. 17 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 2: If you can think back, you can cost your mind 18 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 2: back as to how you used to cope with exam season. 19 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: Were you're just one of those people that knew that 20 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: you know, if you put in the work you studied, 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 2: you would be fine. Was it a really stressful time 22 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 2: for you even though you put in the work. I 23 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: want to know how you experienced exam season when you 24 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 2: were younger and how it's changed over the years. Maybe 25 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 2: you studied further. Do you find that you test a 26 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: lot better now that you are older? How have your 27 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: approach and experience to exam seasons? How has that changed 28 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 2: over the years? Let us know an O double one 29 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 2: eight three h seven oh two, Send us your SMSes 30 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 2: on three one seven oh two and your whatapps seven 31 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 2: two seven oh two one seven oh two. Joined is 32 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: always by a resident human potential and parenting. 33 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: Expert, Nikki Bosh. 34 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: Nikki A very good morning too. 35 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: Good morning gooks, and to all our listeners. 36 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 2: Always a pleasure having you on the show. So we 37 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: are in the last stretch of the year. Christmas is 38 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 2: less than two months away. In fact, Christmas is exactly 39 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 2: two months away, which means to get to, you know, 40 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: the end of the year. To get to Christmas, we 41 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 2: must go through an exam season, which can be a 42 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: difficult time for everyone involved. 43 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: Yes it can. 44 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 3: You know, I have a love hate relationship with tests 45 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 3: and exams because I prefer continuous assessment. But there is 46 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 3: a reason for tests and exams. We do need benchmarks. 47 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 3: We do need to see what the norms and the 48 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 3: standards are, and we do need something as human beings 49 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 3: to pit ourselves against someone else or something else or 50 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 3: a system to see where we are. So there is 51 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: a degree of pressure and tension that's involved. And think 52 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 3: about the real world of work. There comes a time 53 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 3: in the real world of work where there is a 54 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 3: delivery date where the project must be completed and handed 55 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 3: over to your bus or to your client. 56 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 1: So if we think. 57 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 3: About exams and tests as some thing aligned to that, 58 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 3: there is a life skill that children are learning here. 59 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 3: And even when you are on a massive project in business, 60 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 3: there are benchmarks along the way, There are interim goals, 61 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 3: there are there are expectations and deliverables you have to 62 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 3: meet at certain times. So I think we also need 63 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 3: to reframe tests and exams for our children in that 64 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 3: way that even in life, once you're beyond school, you're 65 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: going to have to meet certain deadlines and criteria, etc. So, 66 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 3: you know, giving children concrete examples in real life is 67 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 3: always useful because then they can kind of grasp the 68 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 3: meaning and the intension behind it. Because children are concrete learners. 69 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 3: I say this all the time, they especially, you know, younger, 70 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 3: younger learners in primary school, but even in high school. 71 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 3: And that's why I guess in my own work, I 72 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: use a lot of metaphor and analogy because people need 73 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 3: to know the real life application of what they're going through. 74 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: And so I guess, you know, during exams, then not 75 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 2: only are you know your children the students being tested, 76 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 2: but I guess even you know the home is being 77 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: tested because you know, if they're siblings, if there are 78 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 2: other children, parents, the whole I guess network or the 79 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 2: units is going to have to kind of deal with 80 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 2: the stress and also can be the difference between you know, 81 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 2: giving the student that's writing exams and you know, a safe, enabling, 82 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 2: supportive environment or doing the opposite. So exams don't just 83 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: obviously only one person's going to be writing them, but 84 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 2: the whole family unit becomes involved in this process. They 85 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 2: can all play a role in this exam time. 86 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, And it reminds me of when I was 87 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 3: writing the trick. I I had two sisters. I was 88 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 3: the eldest. My youngest sister was eleven years younger than me. 89 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 3: I'd had a very stressful year. I was very distractable 90 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 3: at that time due to stress and anxiety, and I 91 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 3: needed peace and quiet in order to get through my studies. 92 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 3: And that meant we actually had to change the environment 93 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 3: to change the system. For me, I did not study 94 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 3: for finometric exams in my own home. I went to 95 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 3: a friend's home. All her children were either married or 96 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 3: living overseas. She had a quiet home, and she basically 97 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 3: other than I went to sleep in my own home, 98 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 3: but during the day I had the peace and tranquility 99 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:48,679 Speaker 3: of my friend's bedroom, and her mum actually made sure 100 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 3: that I had stuff to eat and that conditions were 101 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 3: conducive for me. So, you know, sometimes you have to 102 00:05:55,560 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 3: take extreme measures depending on what's going on our lives 103 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 3: in our families. Some children might find it easier to 104 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 3: study with other children, so isolation may not be the 105 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 3: right thing. And you can see this in kids who 106 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 3: thrive in boarding school, for example. They are okay with 107 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 3: studying because everybody's doing it, it's not just them. And 108 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 3: I had one son who went to boarding school, and 109 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 3: he did much better academically when he studied at school 110 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 3: than when he came home for the weekend and studied 111 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 3: at home, because there were way too many distractions at home, 112 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 3: and when he was at school at boarding school, because 113 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 3: everyone was doing it. 114 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: He gave it his all. And so another way of. 115 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 3: Achieving that kind of effect is to create study groups. 116 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 3: So if you've got, you know, exams coming up for 117 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 3: a particular subject, you as a parent may get a 118 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,119 Speaker 3: whole lot of your child friends together around the dining 119 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 3: room table, all studying maths at the same time, because 120 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 3: then you get that group work ethic and then you 121 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: could also have a moment where where kids help each 122 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 3: other and one child teaching another child is an interesting concept. 123 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: So my nephew when. 124 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 3: He was in Matrica, and we're not just talking about 125 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 3: matriculence here, but it's just a good example, he found 126 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 3: all the girls who were good at specific subjects, and 127 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 3: he was good friends with all of them, and he 128 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 3: would invite them to come around and give him extra 129 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 3: lessons to teach him. So the girls who were coming 130 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 3: to teach him in their own way of teaching my nephew, 131 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 3: they were also studying and doing repetition of their own 132 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 3: work while speaking him through what he needed to know. 133 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: So it was a win win. 134 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 3: He studied better through one on one and being taught 135 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 3: through words, and they in turn were studying by actually 136 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 3: doing the the speaking and the kind of esthetic movement 137 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 3: of teaching him. 138 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: So everybody won, Isn't that interesting? 139 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 2: And also just you know, the idea of sometimes the 140 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 2: thing that you actually need is to be in community 141 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 2: with or in a group of other people, because often 142 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 2: exam season can be quite isolating, you know, like you 143 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 2: were saying, for instance, you were the eldest you were 144 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 2: writing exams, so you would have been, you know, the 145 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,439 Speaker 2: person that was studying for especially kind of at the 146 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 2: end of your school, in your grade twelve, your National 147 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 2: Sceenior certificate. And I think for a lot of the 148 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 2: time when you are studying, you are left alone quite 149 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 2: a lot. But and that isolation is important, but it 150 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 2: can also be the thing that underes your progress or 151 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 2: makes it so that you don't achieve what you want. 152 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 2: So even this idea of so how can you know 153 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 2: your community, your family, the people around you, How can 154 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 2: you use other people and you know, being social to 155 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 2: help you do the best possible work as you study, 156 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 2: I think that's that's a really great thing to think 157 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 2: about because often we leave people alone when they're studying 158 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 2: for a big test, preparing for big presentation. But sometimes 159 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 2: they actually need the opposite. They need they need other people. 160 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 3: They also need time to decompress in between sessions of studying, 161 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 3: and what happens very often is they go and decompress 162 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 3: in front of TV or they do some computer gaming 163 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 3: or something like that, and that is an option, But 164 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 3: don't go and do that the night before a test, 165 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 3: because by watching TV, your brain will lose at least 166 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 3: ten percent of what you've just learned if you go 167 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 3: straight from a studying session into watching TV. That's what happens. Scientifically, 168 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 3: the neuroscience tells us that, and you don't know which 169 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 3: ten percent is going to be wiped out. So what 170 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 3: would be better is to finish a studying session and 171 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 3: go and have a meal with your family where you 172 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 3: are in community, as you said, where you're getting face 173 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 3: to face time, where you're hearing other voices. And that's 174 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 3: a really good thing. I have a bug bear when 175 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 3: it comes to like high school end of year exams, 176 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 3: when you've had kids who have been very, very involved 177 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,679 Speaker 3: in cultural and sporting activities to the point where they 178 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 3: hardly ever have time to do homework, so they've learned 179 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 3: to do their homework and studying on the run. They've 180 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 3: learned to pack their studying and their homework into short 181 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:53,199 Speaker 3: periods of time under huge time pressure, and they generally 182 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 3: do reasonably well to excelling. And then you come to 183 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 3: this end of the year where all those activities they've 184 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 3: been doing on top of academics disappear the season's end, 185 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 3: and now all these children have to do is focus 186 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 3: on academics, which we logically think must be a good 187 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 3: thing because now that they've got sixty percent more time 188 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 3: to focus on studying. Of course, you think they should 189 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 3: do better, don't you. But the reality is those kids 190 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,079 Speaker 3: tend to fall apart when it comes to having too 191 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 3: much time to study, and so we have to find 192 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 3: that balance of giving them enough pressure intention that they've 193 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 3: been used to, and you know, enough time to study, 194 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:52,959 Speaker 3: but enough pressure intentions, so not too much time to study. Otherwise, 195 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 3: what happens is they get onto social media, they watch TV, 196 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 3: they fill that time not with studying but with distraction. 197 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: And so those children. 198 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 3: Actually need a timetable that is packed full of activities, 199 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 3: whether it's going to gym, whether it's walking and talking 200 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 3: with a friend, and of course they could be walking 201 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 3: and talking about a subject as well, whether it's having 202 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 3: these communal study sessions with other people, whether it is 203 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 3: doing past papers, and you can get past papers not 204 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 3: just form a trick, but for many years and having 205 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 3: a deadline because they've set up with a subject teacher 206 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,199 Speaker 3: that they're going to hand that paper in to be marked. 207 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 3: And when they're doing those past papers, they need to 208 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 3: do them under exam conditions. So if it's a two 209 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 3: hour paper or three hour paper, you need to be 210 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 3: really strict. 211 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: They need to engage you. 212 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 3: Perhaps if you're at home and you give them the 213 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 3: start time and you give them the end time, switch 214 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 3: off cell phones. 215 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: You know, pretend you're actually writing an exam. 216 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 3: Put yourself under exam conditions because you need to get 217 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,559 Speaker 3: test fit or exam fit. That's part of building confidence 218 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 3: in your ability to take exams well. Is Practice makes progress, 219 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 3: And if you keep doing past papers, you get used 220 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 3: to the way questions are asked. You start using your 221 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 3: critical thinking and you see the same question being asked 222 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 3: in many different ways. So you know, that's part of 223 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 3: the reason why our children should be exposed to past 224 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,199 Speaker 3: papers and they should be practicing doing mock papers. 225 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: That's why you have metric problems. 226 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 3: It's a mock exam, it's you know, it's pretend finals. 227 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 2: And also one of the things that you know you 228 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 2: were talking about. It's quite important for if you are 229 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: taking a break from studying, maybe you've just done, you know, 230 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 2: a particular blog that you're not using that time, you know, 231 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 2: looking at your phone, looking at the TV, but using 232 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 2: it maybe to make sure you eat or you get 233 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 2: some rest and rest being quite an important part of 234 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 2: how you get through this process, like with anything, right, 235 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 2: so that you do need to rest because you're also 236 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 2: going to struggle if you are doing all of that 237 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 2: work and you're not resting, your brain's not going to 238 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 2: be able to you know, file all that knowledge you 239 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 2: can use it on the you know, the test stage. 240 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 2: So rest is quite crucial during this time. 241 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 3: Yes, for a number of reasons. Firstly physical rest. Your 242 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 3: body needs to rest. Secondly, your your mind needs some 243 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 3: downtime from input. But the clever thing about getting enough 244 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 3: deep rest is that everything you study during the day, 245 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 3: your brain quietly replays and refiles while you're sleeping. It 246 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 3: makes sense of that information in a way that your 247 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 3: conscious brain can't. And this is something we need to 248 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 3: teach our kids, is that your brain is going to 249 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 3: get a second study session while you're sleeping, So it 250 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 3: really does need to switch off and go into a 251 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 3: different mode because you give it permission. So I think 252 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 3: this is what we're really talking about here, is giving 253 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 3: your brain permission to work for you. How do we 254 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 3: direct our brain to give us the best result? Can 255 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 3: we be the boss of our brain? Can we give 256 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 3: it leadership? Can you see how I'm reframing studying here 257 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 3: as if you were to take your brain out of 258 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 3: your head and talk to your brain and deal with 259 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 3: it as if it was somebody else you're giving advice to. 260 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 3: And all the things I've said are about giving your 261 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 3: brain direction. But then the other thing we need to 262 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 3: do is learn how to amp up the energy in 263 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 3: the brain. 264 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: Before a t or an exam. 265 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 3: So I like to do some really really basic stuff 266 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 3: that most people don't think of to wake up the brain. 267 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 3: And you can teach your children how to do this. 268 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 3: So fancy footwork. You can do this before a study 269 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 3: session or before you go into an exam, and that 270 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 3: would be you know, you've got tiles on the floor 271 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 3: down the bedroom passage or on the patio, or you've 272 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 3: got tiles at school and it would be doing fancy 273 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 3: footwork like a tennis player does. When tennis players do 274 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 3: this on a ladder, you know, like a string ladder, 275 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 3: and they literally go backwards and forwards and tiptoe between 276 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 3: the rungs of a rope ladder or on the tiles 277 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 3: on the floor. 278 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: You can go backwards, you can go forwards, you can 279 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: go sideways. 280 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 3: Think of what soccer players do to get their eye 281 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 3: foot coordination. Going that sort of thing is going to 282 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 3: work up the brain, sharpen the way it works. Then 283 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 3: skipping with a rope, that's something the top sportsmen and 284 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:13,199 Speaker 3: women do for overall fitness and reflexes. Takes coordination and 285 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 3: a bit of exercise gets your child out of their 286 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 3: head and into their body. 287 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: Very very good thing. 288 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 3: If you're on your way to the exam room, take 289 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 3: the stairs, run up and down the stairs. If you've 290 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 3: got stairs in your home, go up and down the 291 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 3: stairs a few times. 292 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 1: This is going to wake up the brain. Drink water. 293 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: The brain is made up of eighty percent water. 294 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 3: For the electricity to move effectively in your brain, you 295 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 3: need a very well hydrated brain. So water is better 296 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 3: than drinking, for example, an orange cordial. It's going to 297 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 3: be much better, So start teaching your kids to drink water. 298 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 3: Then chewing gum is a useful and helpful too for 299 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 3: destressing and for regulating sensory input as well as helping 300 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 3: the brain to focus and to concentrate. So those are 301 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 3: some really easy tips and tricks that you can help 302 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 3: your children to take on before study sessions or before 303 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 3: an exam, just to get that energy pumping and that 304 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 3: oxygen going into the brain and that hit of dopamine 305 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 3: which is the happiness hormone, which will also help them 306 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 3: to manage their stress and their anxiety. So the body 307 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 3: and the brain are so interconnected. In fact, the body 308 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 3: is the architect of the brain. 309 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 2: Nikki, as always, it is a great pleasure having you 310 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 2: on the show. Thank you so much for your time 311 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 2: this morning. 312 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 3: It's a pleasure and good luck to all of those 313 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 3: families who are facing exams together with their children this season. 314 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 2: There that's our resident a person, Human potential and parenting expert, 315 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 2: Nikkiboch joining us this morning.