A third of parents are planning to make their children revise during the Christmas period with 1 in 10 making them revise on Christmas Day. The research of 1,000 parents, commissioned by Save My Exams, revealed that parents are expecting their children to revise for up to six hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, rather than letting them enjoy the festive break.
According to the findings, Dads are the stricter parent with almost half (44%) making their children revise as opposed to only 23% of Mums. Children in Truro and London should be on the lookout for their parents turning into Scrooge this Christmas with 85% and 55% of parents in these areas looking to turn the festive days into revision days. However, kids in Plymouth and Cambridge can breathe a sigh of relief as only 6% and 15% of parents are making their kids work during the festivities.
Research from Save My Exams also revealed that in the lead-up to January exams, families argue the most about how much time is being spent on revision, alongside bedtime and diet. These findings inspired the launch of “Save My Kids Exams”, a series of free resources to help parents support their kids through exam season in the right way.
Jenna Quinn, Head of Revision Resources at Save My Exams said: “We were surprised by the number of parents who are looking to make their children revise on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
“It’s understandable that parents might want to encourage their children to revise over the Christmas holidays, however there is a fine line between quantity and quality of revision. The Christmas holidays are a time for seeing family and friends, relaxing and enjoying yourself. Children have more than enough on their plate and a three-day break from their revision on Christmas Eve, Day & Boxing Day won’t do any harm. In fact, making children revise excessively may do more harm than good and may well cause friction between families.
“Our advice is to sit down with your children and work out a revision plan where you can agree time off for them to enjoy themselves but also decide on set dates and times where they can get stuck into their revision.”
To help maximise revision during the festive season, Save My Exams has partnered with leading UK nutritionist Reema Patel for its “Save My Kids’ Exams” series to create a festive dish that not only tastes amazing, but will also boost concentration levels.
Reema Patel said: “With the festive season upon us, it’s very easy to slip into the mindset of ‘healthy eating starts in January’. However, for children taking exams in the new year, it’s really important to ensure they are nourishing their brain whilst they study and when entering the crucial exam period.
“Christmas can be a time of self-indulgence but in actual fact, there are some brain-powering foods at the Christmas dinner table that can help boost your productivity.”
According to Reema, ingredients typically associated with Christmas such as roast vegetables, red cabbage and everyone’s favourite, Brussels sprouts, are in fact top brain-boosting foods and if you’re looking for condiments on Christmas Day, don’t forget the cranberry sauce, as cranberries provide a source of flavonoids, which support cognitive function.
Reema has even shared her ‘secret recipe’ for Brussels sprouts as part of the “Save My Kids’ Exams” resources that is guaranteed to make the green balls of goodness go from last on your children's Christmas plates to first on their forks.
The expert nutritionist hails turkey as the main star of the show though, which has a rich source of B vitamins, important for energy production and brain health, as well as zinc and selenium, which can help support the immune system.
To utilise the "Save My Kids' Exams" resources, parents can visit https://www.savemyexams.co.uk/parents/ to access the free content. This includes advice on suggested diets, as well as guidance on creating the ideal revision environment for your child this Christmas.
In addition, Save My Exams remains the leading resource for revision notes, mock exams and model answers for students as well as providing tips on how to do your most effective revision.
