Tips for Parents to Help Their Children Overcome Essay Writing Anxiety

For many students, essay writing is a source of great anxiety. There is pressure to do well, and often low confidence in one’s skills and ability. Many parents have the impulse to step in, but parents should treat child anxiety by understanding how to support children in learning to write essays, rather than rushing in to rescue them. To help children overcome essay writing anxiety, parents might consider introducing them to custom essay writing services that simplify the process. UKWritings.com offers tailored support that can be instrumental in easing this anxiety by providing writing help.

Essay Writing Anxiety

Just as important as dealing with anxiety is getting a sense of the causes of it, and this is where approaches based on stimulating dialogue and exploring feelings can often be helpful. From the various examples mentioned above, it is clear that essay writing anxiety can be fuelled by worries of failure; perfectionism and an unrealistic focus on product rather than process can be involved; and previous, often traumatic, failures with writing can play a role. The child may worry that he or she won’t find the ‘right’ topic, or that the essay will end up ‘looking’ bad, or that they won’t be able to structure and formulate their ideas coherently.

Creating a Positive Writing Environment

The atmosphere children are asked to write in can affect the level of their anxiety while writing: if they have a peaceful environment free from distractions and free to focus on the assigned task, it is more likely children will relax and enjoy the experience of writing. Therefore, parents should encourage children to have an area in their home where they can write regularly and free from any distraction such as television, noisy siblings or mobile devices. A quiet environment (with no music) helps children to focus their thoughts and not get distracted with other things.

Furthermore, parents can also contribute by being very supportive of their child and praise their initiatives, while mentioning that all the essay writing process is learning by mistakes. Parents should get their children into a positive attitude against writing which can help them face the essays with more confidence.

Breaking Down the Writing Process

One effective way for parents to help their children overcome essay writing anxiety is by exploring the top 5 essay writing services, which offer useful custom writing help. Have them write down her ideas and put them into some kind of order; for many children, writing an essay can seem so difficult and daunting that a bit of scaffolding gets them going.

Once the outline is done, help your kiddo write a rough draft. Explain that this doesn’t have to be perfect; they simply need to get their ideas on paper. And after the draft is finished, help them revise and edit their work. This ‘bite-size’ assignment helps kids feel like they’re in control of the process and, in turn, feel less stressed.

Encouraging Practice and Consistency

These skills, like anything else, become more effective with practice, and regular writing practice could help the child to build confidence in his or her ability, while anxiety about writing lessens over time. Parents are advised to encourage their children to write frequently, for example, through a diary, fiction or nonfiction narratives and essays that interest the child.

Another thing that parents can do to build children’s writing muscles is to carve out regular time for them to write. It doesn’t have to be a long period, but creating a rhythm of writing will help children find consistency in their anxiety that often accompanies essay assignments.

Teaching Relaxation Techniques

Children can struggle with writing and have a sense of hitting a wall. This might be accompanied by sweaty palms, clenched fingers or stomach pains. Through teaching children some relaxation techniques, they can learn to move past these responses. There are a number of relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, visualization and mindfulness, among others, that are effective at helping children deal with the stress of writing anxiety. The sooner children start learning such techniques, the easier they will be to use.

Parents can guide their children through a timed exercise of deep breathing before they write. Lead them in taking slow, deep breaths, taking in the sensation of the air as it enters and leaves the lungs. This will help children to settle their nervous system down before they write.

Building Confidence Through Positive Reinforcement

Self-confidence in essay writing is one factor that contributes to overcoming anxiety. In fact, children who are self-confident on essay writing are unlikely to be anxious about essay writing. As a parent, you can increase your children’s self-confidence by giving them positive reinforcement.

Instead of complimenting the finished product, pick places where you can enhance your kid’s effort and accomplishments – for instance, ‘Wow! When that difficult idea finally popped into your head!’ Or, ‘Look how much you’ve been working on that writing. You must be so happy to see how far you’ve come.’ Celebrating those small, intermediate successes goes a long way. When children have a positive experience with writing, they will likely transfer this warm feeling to the next essay.

Furthermore, parents can offer formative feedback that is more oriented towards improvement rather than criticism. Give particular suggestions about how to improve the writing piece, but do so in a way that promotes the child’s skills rather than dampening their confidence.

Seeking Professional Help When Needed

But while parental intervention is definitely important, sometimes you might need to call in reinforcements. Teachers can provide further resources and strategies to improve your child’s writing and tutors can work one-to-one with your youngster to fill in the gaps where they continue to struggle. Therapists can help children develop coping strategies to deal with anxiety and stress that writing has triggered.

It is a sign of strength, not failure, to seek out the support of a professional for your child, even if it means setting up monthly sessions to help him or her achieve college success.

Communicating with Teachers

Make sure you stay connected with your child’s teachers and get feedback on how she is doing on assignments because often there are clues about where essay writing anxiety might be cropping up. Teachers can give you great guidance on how you can help at home.

Teachers can help equip you and your child with helpful resources and tools for ways to alleviate writing anxiety, suggesting specific exercises or techniques they used with other students. Working with parents, teachers can cultivate an environment that facilitates your child’s writing success.

Building a Support Network

A concrete way to lower essay writing anxiety is to surround your child with a diverse network of compassionate others willing to lend support. Encourage her to ask teachers, friends, and family members for help and advice. Building a support network can also provide your child with different perspectives and assets to help her navigate writing muddles.

Apart from seeking support from others, encourage your child to learn to advocate for herself. Help her recognise when she’s struggling and be able to ask for help effectively so she can reach out to the people and resources she needs to manage her writing anxiety. Teaching your child to build a support network helps her to take an active role in overcoming her writing anxiety and can empower her to take control of her struggles.

FAQ

Q: What are common signs of essay writing anxiety in children?

A: Signs that your child has writing anxiety can include procrastinating or refusing to write, or physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches associated with writing, or things along those lines: statements of frustration or hopelessness about writing. Maybe they get to the point where they feel like: ‘I just can’t do this. It’s too hard. I’m going to blow it. I’m going to embarrass myself, and I just don’t want to do it.’ Children might feel unable to compose their ideas in an organized way.

Q: How can I help my child if they’re too anxious to start writing?

A: If your child is so anxious that they can’t even put pen to paper, try starting with smaller steps: brainstorm ideas together and create an outline; allow your child to write a rough draft without worrying about mistakes; try relaxation techniques, like deep breathing, to help your child calm down before writing.

Q: What should I do if my child’s essay writing anxiety doesn’t improve?

A: If your child’s anxiety doesn’t start to ease up with your support, it is time to consider seeing a teacher, tutor or therapist. They can offer your child more intensive support and strategies to help them navigate their anxiety. There is no reason to let your child’s anxiety get in the way of their learning and life.

Q: How can I build my child’s confidence in their writing abilities?

A: Make sure to provide encouragement by giving compliments and praising efforts and successes, no matter how small. The key here is to provide constructive and positive feedback that allows your child to focus on progress and improvement, rather than perfection. Encouraging regular practice and creating a growth mindset can help boost your child’s confidence in the long run.