Supporting Your Child on Leaving Cert Results Day

When Leaving Cert results day arrives, households across Ireland can be filled with anticipation. For many young people, it can be a day of excitement, relief, uncertainty, disappointment, or sometimes all four at once!

While much of the focus is understandably on students, parents and caregivers are often carrying their own hopes, expectations and anxieties. Wanting the very best for your child is natural, but the way you respond on results day can have a lasting impact on how they experience this milestone.

Psychological research tells us that young people benefit most when they feel supported, accepted and listened to, regardless of the outcome. Here are some practical ways you can help your child navigate results day.

Before the Results: Prepare Yourself

Results day can be emotional for parents too. Before the results are released, take a moment to acknowledge your own hopes and worries. This can help you respond thoughtfully rather than react in the moment.

Remember that every student experiences results day differently. Some may be eager to celebrate, while others may need time to process their emotions. Try not to assume how your child is feeling before they have had the opportunity to tell you.

Stay Calm and Steady

Children often look to their parents for cues about how serious or manageable a situation is. If your child is disappointed, seeing you remain calm and supportive can help them feel safe and better able to cope.

Before reacting to the results, take a slow breath. Your role in that moment isn't to immediately solve the problem or start exploring CAO options. Instead, focus on providing reassurance and emotional support.

If you find yourself feeling disappointed or worried, remember that these feelings are valid too. However, it is often more helpful to process them later with another trusted adult rather than in front of your child.

Listen Before You Advise

Resist the temptation to jump straight into problem-solving. Sometimes what young people need most is simply to know they are being heard.

If your child wants some quiet time, allow them that space. If they want to talk or cry, let them express those emotions without trying to immediately "fix" them. Simple reassurance such as, "I'm proud of you, I love you, and we'll figure this out together," can be incredibly powerful.

Be Mindful of Comparisons

It can be tempting to compare results with siblings, friends or relatives, but every young person's journey is different. Comparisons can unintentionally increase pressure and reinforce the idea that achievement is something to be measured against others.

Similarly, as a parent, avoid sharing your child's results online or in family messaging groups without their clear permission.

Today's students receive their results in a world where celebrations are often shared instantly online. Social media can quickly become a highlight reel of high grades and university offers, making it easy for young people to feel that everyone else has done better than they have, even when that isn't the reality.

Consider agreeing as a family to take a break from social media for a while after results are released. Going for a walk, having lunch together or spending time away from screens can help reduce unnecessary comparisons and allow everyone time to process the day.

If Things Didn't Go as Planned

Disappointment is a normal and understandable response if the results aren't what your child hoped for.

Rather than rushing into discussions about points, offers or alternative pathways, allow time for emotions first. Once they have had a chance to process what has happened, you can begin exploring the options available together.

One set of exam results does not determine a person's future. There are many different routes into higher education, training and employment, and many successful careers begin with an unexpected change of direction.

The Leaving Cert represents months, and often years, of hard work.

Whatever the results, acknowledge your child's effort, resilience and commitment. Exam results measure performance in a particular set of assessments; they do not define a person's intelligence, character, potential or worth.

Looking Beyond the Leaving Cert

It is easy to think of the Leaving Cert as a defining moment, but psychological research suggests that long-term wellbeing and success depend on much more than exam results.

Qualities such as emotional awareness, resilience, adaptability and supportive relationships all play an important role in helping people navigate life's challenges and opportunities.

Perhaps the greatest gift parents can offer is the reassurance that they are valued for who they are, not simply for the grades they achieve.

Results Day: A Quick Guide for Parents

Do:

• Listen more than you speak.
• Stay calm and offer reassurance.
• Celebrate effort as well as achievement.
• Remind your child that your love and pride are unconditional.
• Give them time to process their emotions before discussing next steps.

Don't:

• Compare them with siblings, friends or classmates.
• Rush immediately into points calculations or alternative plans.
• Share their results publicly without their permission.
• Let your own anxiety shape their experience of the day.

The Leaving Cert is an important milestone, but it is only one chapter in a much longer story. Whether results day brings celebration or disappointment, what young people often remember most is not the number of points they received, but how supported they felt by the people around them.

Your calm presence, willingness to listen and unconditional support can make all the difference. Not just on results day, but long afterwards.

This article was developed by the Psychological Society of Ireland and clinically reviewed by Dr Claire Crowe, Clinical Psychologist and PSI Member.