Leaving Cert: A Stressful Time for Families

By Vivienne

We have just finished the Leaving Cert in our house. 

I use the word “we” as, while my son did the studying, revision and went into school to sit the papers, it has been a team effort to get us all over the line to the 20^th of June. Monitoring his stress levels, my stress levels, making sure his younger brother laid off the usual poking and prodding, trying to be endlessly encouraging while being terrified that a paper would throw up a random curveball that might shake his confidence has led it to be an exhausting few weeks for all of us. 

It also showed me first-hand how, in a family dynamic, if one family member is under stress, the impact ripples outwards to the entire family unit. My mother coped with this stress by frantically praying to St Anthony before and during each exam, needing to know the subject and exam time in order to make her prayers as specific as possible. His younger brother repeatedly hit a sliotar against the wall of the house with his hurley to burn off the added adrenaline built up from the unusually high stress levels in the house.

Even the dog noticed the shift in the environment, following my Leaving Cert student around and spending endless hours at his feet while he studied, always there to provide the soothing comfort only a pet can. I took the kitchen sink approach, praying, exercising, following him around, cooking his favourite dinners, covertly observing him and trying to detect any signs of stress beginning to get to him. I didn’t realise until I saw him walk towards me after finishing his final Economics exam last Friday that I had practically been holding my breath for two weeks. 

The sense of relief in the house on Friday night was enormous. Of course, that is until the middle of August when the results are due and St Anthony, the hurley and the emotional support dog will be called in to work their magic.