Top 5 School Subjects That Are Secretly Stressing Your Kids Out

Academic pressure on children is at an all-time high, with 61% of teenagers saying they’ve felt stressed because of poor grades. Yet the stress caused by everyday subjects like maths, science, and history often goes unnoticed.

“Recognizing where these stressors start is invaluable in understanding how they impact a child’s well-being. The demands of school can quickly become overwhelming, especially when children feel unsupported or struggle to keep pace,” says Vasilii Kiselev, CEO and co-founder of Legacy Online School, an online learning platform providing high-quality online education for students. “Left unaddressed, these pressures can chip away at a student’s confidence, motivation, and even self-worth.”

To help parents and teachers address these concerns and recognize each subject’s specific difficulties, Vasilii and his team at Legacy School Online performed a study to reveal which common subjects stress kids out the most.

Using Google Keywords, they created a list of common difficult subjects and search terms used by students to seek help, such as “struggling with maths.” They then collected average monthly search volumes for each phrase to identify the subjects and phrases with the highest demand.

Maths

Maths was the subject students struggled with most, with 3,520 average monthly searches. This is 1,600 more monthly searches than the next subject on the table.

Many students struggle with maths because it involves complex or abstract concepts. “Maths requires both good problem-solving skills and what’s known as ‘procedural accuracy,’ meaning that a set of processes must be followed in the correct order to reach the answer,” says Vasilii. “Making a mistake in these processes can trip kids up. There are often also several different ways to reach the same answer, so they might struggle if the teacher’s method isn’t something they can easily grasp.”

Some kids may feel anxious about maths tests, especially if they have gaps in their foundational skills. This anxiety can lead to a cycle of avoidance, where students shy away from the subject or believe they’ll never be able to succeed, creating more gaps in their knowledge and further eroding their confidence. “This can severely impact kids’ self-esteem, as maths is often seen as a ‘must-have’ skill for future success,” says Vasilii.

How Parents And Teachers Can Help: Parents can focus on making maths relevant to everyday life—whether that’s through cooking, shopping, or budgeting exercises—to demystify the subject. Educators can allow more collaborative problem-solving activities, where students can work together to tackle maths problems, reducing the pressure of having to perform perfectly by themselves.

Chemistry

Chemistry came second, with 1,920 average monthly searches. Chemistry’s unique blend of maths, science, and abstract theory can be intimidating for students. It introduces concepts like molecular structures, which can seem foreign and even in conflict with what students observe in their daily lives.

Struggling in chemistry can make students feel that science, in general, isn’t ‘for them,’ impacting their confidence in pursuing STEM subjects. For some, the complexity of chemistry might lead to feelings of frustration and defeat, making it easy to give up.

How Parents And Teachers Can Help: Parents can encourage curiosity by tying chemistry to real-world phenomena, such as cooking, changes in states of matter, or even household cleaning products. Educators can utilise visual aids like models and simulations to help students grasp abstract concepts. By conducting hands-on experiments, teachers can make the subject come alive and transform complex theories into something students can see and touch.

Biology

Biology was just over 100 searches behind Chemistry, with 1,800 monthly searches. Biology requires a large amount of memorisation, which many students struggle with. Attention to minute details and specifics is also key to this subject.

“It can be daunting to keep up with all the terminology and concepts involved in complex systems like human anatomy, plant life, and ecosystems,” says Vasilii. “This makes students feel overwhelmed and discouraged because they feel like they’re constantly making mistakes.”

How Parents And Teachers Can Help: Parents can support students’ interest in biology by exploring nature together—visiting parks, aquariums, or museums, where they can see real-life applications of biological principles.

“Teachers can create connections between biology and students’ everyday experiences,” says Vasilii. “Encouraging students to explore ‘why’ questions about the world around them can engage their personal interest, transforming biology from an intimidating memorisation-heavy subject to something they can relate to the everyday world in which they live.”

Physics

Physics was fourth on the table with 1,590 monthly searches, meaning all three major sciences are included on the table. Physics often requires a strong grasp of both maths and science concepts, combining them in ways that can be hard for many students to understand. While students may find that they can see the effect of simple physical forces like gravity and motion, more complex concepts like thermodynamics and quantum mechanics can feel too abstract for students to fully grasp.

“The perception that physics is for “geniuses” can lead to heightened stress and self-doubt, especially for those who already find maths challenging,” says Vasilii.

How Parents And Teachers Can Help: Parents can introduce basic physics principles at home through fun experiments, like building simple machines or experimenting with gravity and motion using household items. Teachers can incorporate interactive simulations or project-based learning, like building miniature bridges or catapults, to demonstrate physics principles tangibly.

History

History was the fifth entry on the table, with 1,230 monthly searches. History often demands strong reading and retention (memory) skills, making it challenging for students who struggle with memorisation or comprehension. It is also usually assessed through long-form writing pieces, so those who struggle with essay writing and communication skills will feel that they’re at a disadvantage. Some students might also find the subject emotionally heavy when learning about traumatic events.

How Parents And Teachers Can Help:

Parents can bring history to life by exploring family stories and ancestry, visiting local historical sites, or watching documentaries together to help connect students to the past. Educators can use storytelling techniques to make historical events more engaging or allow students to “step into” history by researching figures they feel connected to or reenacting historical events.

“Encouraging discussion on how history shapes the present can help students see the value in learning about the past,” says Vasilii.

Vasilii Kiselev, CEO and co-founder of Legacy Online School, commented:

“Reducing school-related stress is vital for children’s long-term academic and emotional development. Chronic stress can lead to burnout, lower academic performance, and a decline in a child’s mental well-being. The simple fact is that when children are overwhelmed, their brains aren’t open to learning.”

“High stress levels impair kids’ ability to retain information, concentrate, and think critically—all key skills for academic success. When we create an environment where children feel safe and supported, they’re much more likely to stay engaged, motivated, and resilient, improving their educational outcomes.
“Over time, children who experience less school-related stress also tend to develop stronger emotional regulation skills. They learn how to manage frustration, handle setbacks, and believe in their ability to succeed. These are indispensable skills that they can carry forward into adulthood.”