Going to School
Many kids look forward to going to school, but on the other end, there are also kids who are not big fans of going to school. Struggling to get your child to go to school in the morning is not an uncommon problem for parents. Many of the kids just don’t like to get up in the morning. Others are simply too energetic to wait through hours of classes for recess. However, some kids may have a far more serious reason for not wanting to go to school. For these kids, the stress of going to school is very real. The stress of going to school may cause these children to experience stomachaches, nausea, chest pains and headaches. What these children may be displaying are symptoms of school refusal.
School refusal is a ‘difficulty attending school associated with emotional distress, especially anxiety and depression.’ School refusal usually does not just materialize. The child not wanting to go to school due to school refusal is usually born from a very specific set of circumstances. They may have experienced bullying, a death in the family, or a move to a new school. These circumstances are often followed by a period of time in which the child stays at home with the family. When it comes time for the child to go to school again, they may refuse to do so. School refusal is not associated with social phobias or separation anxiety disorder, but share symptoms that are common within that group of disorders.
Children who refuse to go to school because of school refusal generally complain of physical symptoms associated with various illnesses. These symptoms may include stomachaches, headaches, nausea, cramps, joint pain and chest pain. In order to evaluate whether your child is truly sick, or just refusing to go to school, observe their behavior after you allow them to stay home. They may suddenly get better during the day. They may also show no swelling of joints or limited movement even though they complained of joint pain. Anytime their physiological condition or behavior contradicts that of what a truly sick child with those symptoms would display, they may be experiencing extreme symptoms of stress due to the notion of going to school.
If a child is experiencing school refusal, they may need to seek help so that they can look forward to going to school again. When a child states complains of physical symptoms preventing them from going to school, you should take them to a pediatrician to rule out a true illness. If the child is not physically ill, the child will have to go to school. The longer the child is harbored at home, the more difficult it will be to get them to go to school in the future. You may want to talk to the school staff about the child’s problem so that they can observe activity surrounding the child. Have a plan for the child if the child should experience extreme stress during school hours. If the child is still struggling to go to school, you may want to consider family therapy or psychological help.
Going to school should be a fun and memorable experience for any child. If your child or any child you know may be experiencing symptoms of school refusal, talk to the child to find out what is really going on. Taking the proper steps at an early stage is essential in helping the child to regain the joys of going to school.
