X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

“Help, I'm in PSLE Stress Hell!”: A Mum's Cry for Help

4 min read

It’s revision hell at Punggol Eastdale. My son, Avi is sitting for his PSLE this year – papers are kicking off soon and there’s barely any time left. From counting down the months, we are down to counting down the weeks… and very soon, days.

With the Oral examinations already done with in August, he’s already had a taste of this ‘monster exam’ which is pretty much a highlight in all Primary schoolers’ lives. We have stocked up our pantry with the all-time favourite Brand’s Essence of Chicken, but my son is going to need more than just chicken essence to get him by this.

Help, Im in PSLE Stress Hell!: A Mums Cry for Help

Image source: iStock

Our home is filled with twitching nerves, tantrums, late-night memorising, flashcards, anxious scanning of the exam timetable. So that’s the mothers, but what are the kids up to?

He seems to be pretty calm, to my surprise (and at most times, horror). I try to tell myself that’s because he’s confident but at the back of my mind I know it’s only because he’s a carefree soul. It’s not that he isn’t hardworking or smart – he’s just not as in-tune into his studies as his elder brother (who sat for his PSLE last year).

‘Don’t compare, don’t do that!’ I keep telling myself. Both my boys are built differently. Both with their own strengths and flaws, but both very very good boys.

The nerves, oh the nerves. Why is it that I feel like I am retaking my PSLE? Only this time, it means so much more than it did years back? I didn’t do that well in my examination, and I turned out alright – why then the need to put myself through all this tension and sleepless nights?

Help, Im in PSLE Stress Hell!: A Mums Cry for Help

Image source: iStock

Is it the way competition has become a part of our lives? And that of our kids’? Are we afraid that they won’t get into a good Secondary School, or miss that affiliation perks? Are brand names still important to us when it comes to educational institutions? I am sure many parents will be nodding at this.

I go back into a time not too far back, just last year in fact, when I was going through this with Taj, my older son. He was slightly playful when it came to sitting down to revise, always making excuses to ‘eat something because I am suddenly hungry’, ‘play soccer to unwind for a bit’, or ‘nap because I need to grow’ (yes, he is a joker).

In the end, he did pretty well and got admission to the Secondary school of his choice. But the journey there- that was the tough part. His days were packed with extra classes in school, tuition at home, enrichment classes at nearby centres, and of course, mum’s nagging and revision slots.

Help, Im in PSLE Stress Hell!: A Mums Cry for Help

Image source: iStock

At the age of 12, I really wonder if this is what our kids were meant to be doing. I felt bad for him, wishing he could just be outside frolicking in the sun and sand. Or even spending some time playing a computer game (yes, I don’t mind it if it’s done in moderation). Many family dinners and reunions with the extended family saw Taj sitting in one corner, buried in his books.

This sight really broke my heart at times. But what else could we do? This is how a normal day was like for any other kid in his class (according to them when we spent a day at a birthday party). All the mothers were complaining and saying that there was just so little time in the day for anything else.

Now as Avi sits through his PSLE, I am the same mixed bag of emotions all over again. I can’t wait for this month to be over… Maybe I feel more stressed as it is my second year in a row battling the PSLE monster. Maybe it’s something in a mother that makes us automatically panic.

I am trying to stay as calm as I can (thank you lavender aromatherapy), and he is always in my prayers. As I turn over to him as I write this, he is snacking on his favourite chocolate, reading a comic. I laugh at how differently we are taking the stress. But maybe it’s a good thing after all.

Have you ever seen a stress-free student just before an exam? I have.
Have you ever seen a stress-free mother just before an exam? I haven’t!

Partner Stories
5 effective tips to help kids focus and concentrate
5 effective tips to help kids focus and concentrate
How to discover and develop your kids' hidden talents
How to discover and develop your kids' hidden talents
How parents can combat childhood myopia
How parents can combat childhood myopia
Teenagers and eating disorders
Teenagers and eating disorders

PSLE mummies, how are you coping with the exam stress? Do share- we would love to hear from you!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Pavin Chopra

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting Advice by BRAND'S® AlphaMynd
  • /
  • “Help, I'm in PSLE Stress Hell!”: A Mum's Cry for Help
Share:
  • 8 ways to keep PSLE stress at bay

    8 ways to keep PSLE stress at bay

  • 4 Tips To Help Reduce Your Child's PSLE Stress

    4 Tips To Help Reduce Your Child's PSLE Stress

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

  • 8 ways to keep PSLE stress at bay

    8 ways to keep PSLE stress at bay

  • 4 Tips To Help Reduce Your Child's PSLE Stress

    4 Tips To Help Reduce Your Child's PSLE Stress

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.