What to do if Your Child Doesn't Want to go to School

School mornings can be hard for both children and parents. We all want to stay in bed a bit longer, so complaints are completely natural. However, if your child appears unusually upset about going to school, regularly makes excuses, or constantly feels unwell, then this could be a sign that there is an issue at school.

Every parent hopes that their child will enjoy school, make friends and enjoy learning. However, school life can be very challenging and this can make some children want to stay at home. These challenges might include difficulty with school work, bullying or simply a lack of self-esteem.

Your child might not feel comfortable about sharing their feelings with you, especially if they feel intimidated by a bully or scared of getting into trouble. If you find that your child is reluctant to go to school, here are some tips from The Manor Preparatory School to help you get them back on track…

·       Talk to your child about how they are feeling. Be understanding and reassuring and ask them what needs to happen to help your child feel happier about going to school. Use a problem-solving approach to help your child identify the issue and put an action plan into place.

·       Talk to your child's school and work together with the teachers to support your child and reassure them that they have lots of people who want to help.

·       Always show encouragement towards learning and keep a positive attitude when discussing school. This is particularly important if your child finds the class work difficult. Offer to help with their homework or find a tutor who can provide additional learning support.
 

·       Praise your child for good attendance and reward them for their academic achievements. The more supported a child feels at home, the better they will perform at school.

·       Teach your children not to avoid their fears, but to face them and find solutions to their problems. Give them a step-by-step plan of what actions they can take to face their fears.

·       Finally, don’t let staying at home become a fun alternative to going to school.  If your child does stay home, they should be encouraged to catch up on missed classwork.