What to do if your Child Doesn't Enjoy School

As parents, we all hope that our children will be happy at school, make friends and enjoy learning. However, a school environment can be very challenging for some children. They may lack confidence, they may find it hard to make friends or they may not be able to keep up with their peers in class. This can make some children resent school and want to stay at home.

If you find that your child is reluctant to go to school, here are some tips from Independent Day School in Cambridge to help turn things around.

Show your support

Talk to your child about how they are feeling and why they are not enjoying school. Be understanding and reassuring and ask them what they would like to change to make things better. This problem-solving approach will not only help you to identify the issue, but it will also help you to put an action plan into place. This may involve talking to your child’s teacher and working together to better support your child. Support and reassurance is sometimes all children need to get back on track.

Praise effort

Always show encouragement towards learning and keep a positive attitude when discussing school. This is particularly important if your child finds class work difficult. Remember to praise your child for their efforts instead of rewarding them for their academic achievements. Help your child with additional home learning or find a tutor who can provide extra support. The more supported a child feels at home, the better they will perform at school.

Find solutions

Sometimes it is the school environment itself that is causing the problem. Your child may be experiencing peer pressure or bullying, which is creating a fear of school. Encourage your child to talk to you about who is upsetting them and then discuss this with the school. You can make a joint plan of action on how best to tackle the issue. This will teach your child not to avoid their fears, but to talk about them with adults who can help find solutions to their problems.