FOR anyone with a child in years 2 to 9, you’ll likely know we’re in the midst of Wales National Test time.

I’m trying to get my two tucked up and asleep in good time each night; we’ve done past papers; my topping up their omega 3 levels with salmon is a regular feature for dinner and many an evening I have caught myself muttering about "base times height" or "mean, median and mode".

It doesn’t take much to get the cogs churning in my brain; sometimes over-churning, steam-generating, and occasionally it feels like there is a 'pop' followed by a desperate desire to lie down in a dark room with a G&T (but I usually settle for tea).

Indeed, being put to the test is one such thing that’ll get me thinking big thoughts every time.

Not so much in respect of the rights and wrongs of testing, the age of testing or even who the tests are for.

There are countless voices who would argue strongly in favour of one position or the opposite on all of these matters.

No, swerving all those, I got thinking about how we approach and handle being tested.

I always loved learning. I still do.

I was one of those people for whom spending hours over books was not purgatory but (sometimes) a pleasure.

However, I have experienced that stomach-dropping, sweat-producing, absolute fear - I got myself a tad over-anxious about maths and saw a sea of squiggles instead of GCSE questions.

The horror as it dawned on me that I couldn’t scrabble through the swamp to any sort of sense was devastating.

So what of those who for all sorts of different reasons find approaching any and every test this agonising?

What of those with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia or other challenges, or living with conditions that affect the ability to communicate, to process, remember, understand or retain?

We often tell children do your best and you can achieve anything, but sadly your best may not be enough to get you to where you want to be.

Had I wanted to be Governor of the Bank of England, my eventual C at maths, while being my very best, probably wouldn’t see me determining monetary policy for the UK, even if I believed this was a great loss to the country (FYI - I don’t believe this).

My conclusion and what I tell my children, is that I want them to be proud of themselves and I will be proud of them.

I want them to do their best and that their best will be different to someone else’s. I want them to reach their potential, not strive for someone else’s. If they can say hand on heart that that is what they have done, there is nothing more anyone can ask of them.

We don’t always know where our results will take us, but we can approach every test in school and in life, with our very best.