For any child, returning to school after all the fun and excitement of the Christmas holidays can be challenging. They may have had presents to open, delicious food to eat, and beloved relatives to see. First-day wobbles are completely normal, but if your child is struggling to attend school beyond this, it’s time for you to act before this problem intensifies. Below are three tips on supporting your child to return to school.
Take Your Time
If you have work commitments, it can be hard to remain calm and collected if your child is taking up a lot of time in the mornings. Whether they’re refusing to get ready for school, or clinging to you at the school gate, school reluctance and refusal can put a huge strain on parents. As hard as it may be, remain calm and take it day by day. Informing your child that they must attend every day will feel like a huge amount of pressure, so let them know you’re in their corner and take it day by day.
Enlist Support From School
Once the school knows about your child’s reluctance to attend, they can put many measures in place to help you and your family. This may range from providing your child with a trusted member of staff who they can check in with daily, to offering you practical advice to help everyone at home. Schools are well placed to support issues like this, so make sure you make staff aware.
Share The Load
If you’re lucky enough to have family members nearby, make sure your child spends time out of the house with them. This will help your child get used to spending time with adults other than you, but in a more calm and relaxed setting than school. Sometimes, children will open up to grandparents or aunts and uncles in a way they feel too pressured to do with their parents, so by sharing the childcare you may even discover what it is about school that’s causing problems for your child. If you don’t have family nearby, enlist friends or find an excellent babysitter to help build up your kid’s confidence.