“My child hates school and I don’t know what to do!” Does this describe how you’re feeling right now? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Every child will have phases where they’re not enjoying school. This could be due to their friends not being in, a certain lesson happening in the day or laziness. However, there is a small number of children who hate going to school entirely. If your child seems heavily anxious or depresses about school, makes up excuses not to go to school or seems isolated, you should be concerned as this is not normal behaviour and can lead to your child being a low achiever when it comes to academics. The good news is, these problems can be solved very easily. The key is to find out the root of the problem which are listed below.
- This is one of the biggest roots of problems when it comes to students hating school. Anxiety is invisible and is projected in many ways. Some students are vocal about how they feel whereas others close off entirely. The majority of the time students don’t even know it’s anxiety that is causing them to feel the way they do. Find out where the anxiety is coming from. Sometimes it can be working in big groups of people or struggling with class work. Speaking to your child’s teacher can also help you get a better insight.
- No parent wants to think their child will be the one who has no friends in school, but unfortunately, this can be the case sometimes. Sitting alone at break time and having no one to pair up with at PE can be one of the most horrible feelings which can lead to school as a whole becoming a space of sadness. Children who feel like this tend to fake illnesses or gift peers often in an attempt to be liked.
- Sadly, every school has them. Sometimes, students won’t attend school out of fear of being hurt emotionally or physically. If this is the case, tell a teacher straight away. Schools are very strict on bullying and will take it very seriously.
- Trouble learning. School can be frustrating purely because the content taught can be delivered too fast or isn’t sinking in as well as your child would like it to. Figure out what subjects your child is struggling with most and discuss with their teacher if there are possibilities for one-to-one support.
Remember, it may be stressful when your child suddenly starts to resent school, but it isn’t something that cannot be resolved. Talk to your child and allow them to open up to you before making the next decision.
*Collaborative post