What To Do When Your Child Hates School

Step 1: Communication

It's important that you discuss school with your child regularly, and make sure you know about the things they like and dislike at school. You need to give your child time to talk about all the things that make them feel bad. And you need to very carefully pull out things they don't dislike, and re-emphasize your child's perspectives. You'll have to have many conversations. This isn't just one conversation to have with your child in order to understand the problem.

Step 2: Reasons children hate school

There many possible reasons a child might have an aversion to school. It could be that they are struggling to fit in socially. They could have difficulty making friends, or it might be that they are teased or bullied by other children. Another possible reason a child would be unhappy at school is that they're struggling with their schoolwork, and this can be especially challenging and stressful during exams. The child might have learning difficulties in a particular subject, or that they generally learn at a slower rate than other children. It could also be that they don't like a particular teacher, and in some cases will feel that a teacher is picking on them.

Step 3: What can you do about it?

As a parent, there are a number of practical steps you can take to make your child gets as much as possible out of the school experience. Make sure your child is properly equipped and prepared, by making sure they get enough sleep, that they manage their time, that they organise themselves with the equipment and uniform that they need and that they go off to school well fed and well prepared in general.