School Issues

Schooling is one of the most challenging issues faced by children and parents. While there is currently a lot of attention being paid (and rightly so) to the impact of bullying, there are many other issues that are part of the school experience, which have a significant effect on our children's wellbeing.

Signs To Watch For:

• Fall in academic performance.
• Lack of motivation / interest for school-related activities.
• Complaining of being bored and not challenged by school work.
• Reports of attention-seeking or problem behaviours.
• Frequent detentions.
• The child talks about himself as "dumb".
• Discomfort or embarrassment when the topic of school is raised.
• Failure to regularly complete homework.
• Reluctance to talk about anything to do with school.
• Difficulty concentrating, listening or sitting still in school.
• Poor relationships with peers and teachers.
• Regularly becoming sick at school time.
• Refusing to go to school.

What Can Result From These:

• Poor self-esteem.
• Lack of confidence.
• An increased risk of dropping out or exiting school early.
• A child can be labelled as "slow", "lazy", "trouble maker" etc. They can accept the label and live up to it.
• Difficulty in developing a sense of belonging: this can hold the child back from involvement with family, or from building friendships.
• Depression and anxiety.

What Can You Do To Help?

• Build and maintain a strong, ongoing relationship with your child's school, not just when there are difficulties. Staff are much more responsive to parents whom they see as being allies.
• Talk regularly with your child about school and really listen to them.
• Refuse to allow your child to accept belittling and unhelpful labels.
• Rule out the possibility of learning difficulties or disabilities which may be interfering with your child's learning.
• Give your child intentional practice at communication and social skills.
• Investigate if specific things such as subjects or teachers can be changed, if they trigger problems.
• Help your child to address personal habits, qualities or behaviours which may alienate others.
• Ensure your child is not overloaded with too many extra-curricular activities, which could drain their energy.
• Provide resources at home which will help support your child's learning.
• Supply whatever support your child may need to cope with personal or family problems. Counselling may be a valid option.
• Limit the hours of work your child does outside of school, or the responsibilities they take on in the home.
• Guard their physical health - make sure they get a healthy diet, enough sleep and exercise.
• Limit the amount of time your child spends on activities which keep them isolated (especially video and computer games).
• Stay in touch with your child's rights as well as the school's expectations.

We can frequently feel overwhelmed when our child is going through a tough time. Even if they don't want to attend counselling, it can be a valuable tool for helping you address your own anxieties as well as gaining insights into how best to support your child.

For help in dealing with school-related issues, contact Alli at Point Of Change Counselling and make an appointment.