Why Some Kids don’t like going to School, Reasons for Toddler

Why Some Kids don’t like going to School? Many parents complain that their children refuse to go to school. It becomes really challenging for parents to wake up their children from bed and make them ready for school. This is real trouble for parents as they have to make school preparations on one side and at the same time wake up their child for school. In such a situation, sometimes, parent and child conversation sorts out the matter but if it has become a habit of your child then you need to think of a way out. It is common for them to make excuses such as headaches, stomachaches, nausea, or dizziness. However, in genuine cases, like physical ailments, the child doesn’t want to go to school and parents should understand such a situation.

A Few Eye-Opener Cases:

Every time, if you complain about your child’s disinterestedness in going to school, it won’t bring anything. Therefore, some insights from the children’s mouths:

• “I love my school because I meet my friends and we do a lot of activities such as painting and computers. But I don’t like to wear my school uniform, it is so uncomfortable. I prefer wearing a dress of my choice. If I could wear my own dress, I would be happy.” Jasmine Joseph, 6 Years, United Kingdom
• “School is so excited at the beginning of the session. It starts getting after a month. The same classroom with loads of homework each day, and it becomes a routine. I want to involve in activities to make the day fulfilling and exciting. When we are limited to homework and classwork, I don’t wish to attend school.” Asher, 9 Years New Zealand
• “We moved to another city recently. I had all my friends from the previous school. This school is nice but the problem is students here already have groups. Though they are polite to me, I still feel lonely sometimes. I have not made new friends, and thus I dislike going to school.” Annis Walter, 13 Years Australia
• “I hate to go to school as somebody always tries to teach us something or the other. It’s so boring and dull to sit in class and keep looking at the teachers. I am scared of my Mathematics teacher, she is very strict. Rather, the school should allow us to play outside also. Since I am in school, I do not get enough time to play games on the computer.” Tina Sharman, 7 Years, Canada
• “I love all my subjects except Physics. It is extremely tough and I do not understand what is being taught. Our teacher gives us assignments on this subject and a surprise test. I wish I could skip the subject because due to Physics I started hating school.” Natalia Joseph, 16 Years, USA

How to Handle the Problem?

Children can refuse to go to school due to various reasons. It is crucial to know that reasons for avoiding school are dependent on the child’s age. This denotes that reason for a play school child and a teenager refusing to go to school will be different due to age difference. Most of the concerns are sorted out with time. Remember, talking with your child, as will help in identifying the anxiety before the matter get out of control.

Young children always refuse to go to school commonly due to anxiety whereas teenagers have anxiety along with mood disorders. These disorders can be a phobia, panic, depression, separation anxiety, adjustment disorders, etc. The continuous refusal to go to school requires a family physician, parents, family members, and a mental health professional. Children show physical symptoms as a result of the root cause, thus involvement by a physician is very crucial to find out any medical problem. Treatment includes educational-support therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, parent-teacher interventions and medication.

Most Common Reasons for a Toddler:

• Fear of Teachers
• Separation from parents/Loneliness
• Adjusting in the school routine

Common reasons for a Teenager:

• Exam Fear
• Fear of being ridiculed
• Peer Pressure
• Boring curriculum or teaching methods
• Emotional issues

Remember: A parent is the child’s best friend. Spend time with your child rather than only fulfilling their requirements and wishes. If you treat your child as a friend, he/she will share the feelings and you will come to know your child’s continuous refusal for school.