Before jumping in to get a tutor, which would be the final solution of course. Have a discussion with your son. Is there anything else that is troubling him or that he is concerned about, apart from him studies.


For most parents our focus would be on our children’s studies and results. We forget that the teen years are the most complex and challenging years for them. Encourage him to open up and share, just listen and decide together on what is best for him.

He knows he has disappointed you terribly. He needs your understanding and support now, more than ever, in order to stay positive and succeed in his ‘O Levels’. Keep believing in him!

All the memory ideas and suggestions shared are wonderful. Remember to always keep the fun element throughout, as this is what our children need. If parents are involved and also tried to remember and recall the exercises with their children then this would be the added motivation factor for your children to want to do more!


A fun game I use to play with my sons when they were young was to put several items on a tray and cover it then lift the cover and show them for a couple of minutes. Then I would take the tray away and remove an object. They would then look at the objects on the tray and try to guess which item I had removed.

The other is to recall all the objects on the tray before I lifted the cover again. We had so much fun especially when it was my turn to recall the objects they had put on the tray. Yes, you guessed it, they kept wanting more!

Brain research has proven that concrete pictures and colours also helps with memory.

When one of my sons, age 10 years then asked me, "Mum, what do you want me to be when I grow up?" He was expecting me to say, a doctor or lawyer. I took the question seriously and thought about it before I replied. I said, " I want you to be Happy". He said,"No mum, really, what do you want me to be?". My reply was, "Happy". I explained that it may sound so simple but it could be a tall order! He needed to do and be what ever made him happy. He is now doing his second year uni and guess what he is ‘Happy’. He never forgot what I said. The question, What’s the purpose of Life and my answer has not changed. It is to be ‘happy’. It is our expectations and never being satisfied that keeps us away from ‘happiness’.