As parents, we undoubtedly carry the burden of our child's anxiety over exam results, our instinct is to take away their stress and make everything better, but you can't control what results they have got today. Instead, what you can do is help your child to cope with the stress of exam results and to think positively about whatever they got in their envelope today.

My recent article on exam anxiety could prove a helpful read if you are worried about how your child will cope with unexpected exam results and what their future looks like if they didn't get the results they hoped for. Read more.

The most important thing to remember is that whatever your child's results in their GCSE's, this need not dictate their future and there are lots of ways that they can help to improve their chances of getting accepted in to college and then university. The great news is that if your child didn't meet their predicted grades in core subjects then they will most likely have the opportunity to retake these exams alongside their exams at college next year and their chosen college will offer support to help them achieve the grades they need to attend a university of their choice or to get the job they would like when they leave college.

An article by Nicola Woolcock in the Times today, highlights the importance of helping children to deal with failure and the dangers of over protecting them. I always help my young clients to look at failure as a positive. It offers an opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate the path we are on and the events that have led to the failure, in order to learn from it and move on with a positive outlook and a desire to succeed.

If you need any help or advice on how to help your child cope with the stress of results day and beyond then please don't hesitate to get in touch on alice@alicejonescoaching.co.uk