What is school refusal?School refusal is when children get extremely upset at the idea of going to school, and often miss some or all of the school day. This distress doesn’t go away. Show
School refusal can mean that children have trouble going to school or trouble leaving home – they might not go to school at all. Children who refuse to go to school usually spend the day at home with their parents’ knowledge, even though their parents try really hard to get them to go. School refusal can be an issue for children in primary and secondary school. School refusal is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis. It’s a name for an emotional and/or behaviour problem. Signs of school refusalIf your child refuses to go to school, you might feel that school nights and mornings are a ‘battle of wills’. Your child might:
Causes of school refusalThere’s rarely a single cause of school refusal. It might be linked to anxiety or worries about leaving home, a phobia, learning difficulties, social problems at school, or depression. School refusal might start gradually or happen suddenly. It can happen at the same time as or after:
By not going to school, a child might be able to:
Understanding your child’s school refusalThe first step to working on your child’s school refusal is trying to understand the issue from your child’s point of view. This means you can go to the school with useful information. Identifying why your child is having trouble going to school
Finding solutions to school refusal
It’s important for your child to go to school while they’re getting help with the issue that has caused the school refusal. When your child goes to school, it builds their confidence and resilience. It keeps your child connected with learning, and it’s important for social development. It’s often easier for children to return to school if they haven’t been away from school for too long. Working with schools on school refusalThe best way to get your child back to school is by working as a team with your child’s school. It’s a good idea to start by talking with your child’s classroom teacher, home-room teacher or year coordinator. Here are some things you could cover:
Children have the right to learn and develop in safe and healthy school environments. If school refusal is related to school-age bullying or teenage bullying, it’s always best to work with the school on the problem. Working on school refusal at home: practical strategiesHere are some practical things you can do at home to encourage your child to go to school. When you’re talking to your child
When you’re at home with your child
Getting to school
Your child needs your love and support to get back to school. So focus on any efforts your child makes to go back, be patient with your child’s progress, and try to keep any frustration to yourself. This will help your child build the confidence they need to get back to school regularly. Getting professional help for school refusalFamilies can get professional help to learn about managing school refusal and to sort out the problems behind it. If your child is saying they feel sick, make an appointment with your GP to check it out. If there are no physical reasons for your child feeling sick, your GP might refer you to a paediatrician, psychiatrist or psychologist. A psychiatrist or psychologist will usually do an assessment to see whether the school refusal is linked to issues like anxiety or depression. Therapies and supports for school refusal will probably work better if your child is also getting help for anxiety or depression. It’s a good idea to ask your child’s health professional about any strategies you can use at home to support your child’s return to school. Your GP will probably talk with you about a mental health treatment plan for your child. If you have a plan, you can get Medicare rebates for up to 20 sessions with a mental health professional. You can also get Medicare rebates for visits to a paediatrician. Looking after yourselfSchool refusal can be hard to handle, and it can be very worrying. Looking after yourself with healthy food, regular exercise and enough rest is good for your health and wellbeing. And when you’re healthy and well, you’ll be better able to support your child to go to school. Getting support from a trusted friend or a mental health professional can often be a big help too. How do I make myself not go to school?You can avoid school for short periods of time by taking an educational field trip with your parents, joining a club or team the meets or competes during the school day, requesting a personal day, or faking sick.
What is the best excuse for not going to school?And now without a further ado, let's see the good excuses not to go to school for strict parents, starting with number 11:. Left your homework/project at home. ... . You had a bad toothache. ... . Found a little animal, and tried to help it. ... . Something bad happened, you were in tears so couldn't go to class.. Is it normal to not want to go to school?Many children express reluctance to attend school at some point in their lives, making it one of the most common childhood behavior problems. However, reluctance, and then refusal, to go to school can lead to bigger problems and serious consequences if parents don't effectively respond.
Why do I keep not going to school?Causes of school refusal
It might be linked to anxiety or worries about leaving home, a phobia, learning difficulties, social problems at school, or depression. School refusal might start gradually or happen suddenly. It can happen at the same time as or after: stressful events at home or school or with peers.
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