Parent Anxiety Before Midterm Exams

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Morning Tension

The alarm hadn’t rung yet, but I was already awake.

April 20th, Monday, three days before my child’s midterm exams.

I lay in bed, my mind automatically calculating:

How well does he understand the geometry problems?
Has he finished memorizing the English words?
Will he lose points on Chinese reading comprehension?

These thoughts came like a tide, keeping me tossing and turning.

Silent Breakfast

At 6:30 AM, before heading to work, I made his favorite egg noodles.

“What’s for breakfast?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Egg noodles,” I tried to sound relaxed, “Eat more, good luck on the exam.”

He nodded and buried his head in the noodles. But I watched him, my heart racing:

What time did he study last night?
Did he sleep well?
How is his condition today?

He left after finishing, even the milk I prepared went unfinished.

Distraction at Work

Sitting in the office, I should have been focusing on documents, but my mind drifted to school.

A colleague asked: “What’s wrong? You look worried.”

“Nothing,” I forced a smile, “It’s just that my child has exams.”

“Oh,” the colleague nodded, “Kids have a lot of pressure these days.”

Yes, pressure is everywhere. But only parents know this pressure is actually our own.

On the Way to Pick Him Up

At 5 PM, I went to school to pick him up.

The school gate was crowded with parents, everyone like ants on a hot pan.

“How’s your child’s review going?” a parent asked me.

“Pretty good,” I replied evasively, “Just a bit nervous.”

Actually, I was more nervous than him.

Seeing my child walk out of the school gate, I immediately went to meet him: “How did it go?”

“Pretty good,” he answered indifferently, “Just the last math problem was a bit difficult.”

“It’s okay,” I comforted him, “Just do your best.”

But in my heart I was thinking: Will this problem affect the ranking? Will it affect the class average?

Reflection at Dinner

During dinner, my child said: “Mom, don’t always ask me about the exam, I’m getting a bit annoyed.”

I was stunned, chopsticks hovering in mid-air.

Yes, when did I become so anxious?

My child is only in elementary school, yet I’m worrying about his ranking, his grades, his future.

I remembered when I was young, my parents always asked me how the exam went. At that time I felt very annoyed, but now, I’ve actually become that kind of person.

Late Night Epiphany

After my child fell asleep, I sat at my desk, looking out at the dark night sky.

I suddenly understood one thing:

Exams are just a small step in life, not the destination.

What children need to learn is not how to get high scores, but how to face failure, how to persist, how to maintain curiosity about the world.

My anxiety is actually transmitting a kind of fear—fear of failure, fear of falling behind, fear of the future.

But is this fear really necessary to pass on to children?

Tomorrow’s Plan

I think, starting tomorrow, I need to change a bit:

Stop asking about exams daily, unless he brings it up
Care more about his feelings, not just his grades
Let him arrange his own review, I’ll just support from the side
Trust his abilities, just like I trust myself to do my job well

Final Words

It’s late, and I’m ready to sleep.

Tomorrow, I’ll tell my child: “No matter how it goes, mom and dad love you.”

This isn’t comfort, it’s the truth.

Postscript: This article was written early morning on April 20, 2026. Hope all parents can let go of anxiety and give children a relaxed space to grow.

Reflection on Lucas Wang