My Kids Hate School What Can I Do?

BIG tears at drop off? Sulking at home? “I don’t want to go to school tomorrow”.

Do these all sound familiar? It’s ok, all children go through ebbs and flows when it comes to the love/hate relationship with school.

It can be particularly rough with new preppies or those transitioning into a new school. It can be a traumatic and tough time for the entire family, and not a pleasant journey to work through.

We wanted to bring you our top tips on how to ease the transition.

Our top tips to help kids struggling with school

Listen Openly

The first thing we should try and do is listen.

Resist the urge to immediately act or jump into problem solving. As parents, our first instinct is to try to protect our little ones, especially when their social and verbal skills may not be expressive quite yet.

However, even prep students can explain what’s wrong and why they hate going to school if you take the time to listen.

Ask the Right Questions

Don’t bombard your child with dozens of questions and overwhelm them the second they get off the bus or you pick them up from school.

A great time to talk is over dinner, or while doing something fun and lighthearted. Promote open communication by asking open ended questions that require more than one -word answers such as “tell me about your favorite part of the school day today?” rather than “how was school?”

Open ended questions help your child start to think critically about their day and reflect upon their personal experiences. They also help the child to process their emotions and experiences to be able to express themselves better. This skill will help your child to be a great communicator too!

Get to the Root of the Problem

Often, children do not actually hate school, but are having a negative experience that is making them not want to go. Sometimes this can be a bully picking on them, a class they are particularly struggling with, friend problems, or other personal issues.

Young children in school for the first time may be experiencing separation anxiety from their parents which is totally normal.

Dig a little deeper to see if there is an issue that can be fixed.

Ask for School Support

If you talk to your child and realise that the reason why they hate school is not something that can be solved through parenting alone, do not hesitate to reach out to the school and ask for support.

This is especially vital when there is bullying involved or when your child is struggling. Many schools offer tutoring programs and parents can set up conferences with teachers to discuss learning strategies.

Many schools also have counsellors or school chaplains that can offer supports to parents and children.

Counsellors can visit your child during the school day and provide a safe place for your child to talk about their feelings and what they are experiencing during the day. School counsellors can also help provide referrals for extra support outside of the school system when needed.

When Your Toddler Struggles with Change

One of the biggest reasons why four-year-olds don’t like school is because they are struggling with change in their environment and routine.

They are going from being home or daycare and getting to play all day with people they love and trust, to a super structured environment where expectations are different, and everyone is a stranger. This kind of big change can be scary for anyone, especially a four-year-old.

Preschool aged children often struggle with separation anxiety or have trouble working through change. One way you can help make the school transition easier is by setting and keeping a daily routine.

Routines help children to understand expectations and what’s coming next which reduces uncertainty and anxiety in children. Following a daily routine also reinforces that school is temporary and that mom or dad is coming back.

When you chat about going to school, keep the conversation light and fun, focusing on all the fun, positive parts of the school day that your little one enjoys. During the weekends remind them they get to see their friends again on Monday, ask them about what they are looking forward to, or even get excited about the lunch menu!

Remember, your child won’t hate school forever if you listen, ask questions, get to the root of the problem, and ask for school supports when necessary.

When these things aren’t enough, we are here to provide support. If you would like to get in touch with us – click here.