The refusal to go to school can be a common occurrence amongst children aged 5 to 12 and this phenomenon should in no way be encouraged by parents. Instead, parents should ensure that their kids enjoy the process of school, or at least take something away from this learning experience. It can be a hard time for kids to adapt to a new environment, so it is imperative for parents to look for signs of distress in their kids at all times. Here are some ways that you can help your kid overcome the refusal to go to school and make their experience a most pleasant one.
Make Sure That It Has Nothing to Do with The Environment
For most kids that are refusing to go to school, they are in fact well-behaved kids and the refusal to go to school has nothing to do with their behaviour. Instead, these kids may have external stresses such as encountering bullies in school or feeling stressed because of school work or tests. It is important for you to find out the root cause of their problem and talk to them about their environment. Of course, it is important to ensure that you keep in constant contact with your kids’ teachers so that you understand the situation in their environment more clearly.
Make it Unappealing to stay at home
For some, the situation revolves around your kid refusing to go to school because it is more appealing to stay at home. To discourage such behaviour, it is imperative for you to make it unappealing to stay at home. For example, removal of entertainment devices such as television, iPad or video games, would ensure that your child is not tempted to stay at home just to partake in these activities. More often than not, kids usually stay at home because they get to enjoy themselves. If they are at home due to an illness, make sure you don't offer them extra sympathy but instead treat it like a hospital stay. This will actually discourage them from faking their sickness and encourage a yearning for school.
Ensure That Their Health Is Not an Issue (Sick Policy)
If your kid is complaining about being sick, make sure that he is really sick and not just faking it to avoid a test in school. It is important to create a sick policy ahead of time so that your kid knows what he is expecting if he stays at home. In the event that you realize that your kid is not actually sick, make sure that he studies and not laze around in the house. Make it imperative that your child visits the doctor every time he complains of being sick. Kids are afraid of doctors, and when this rule is enforced, it usually gets them to back off.
Talk to Your Child
Lastly, you want to talk to your child to make sure that he's not afraid of school. let him understand the importance of actually committing to an activity, despite him feeling stressed about it. This will only help him cope better with hardships in the future.