It can be disheartening as a parent to know your child dislikes school and your first instinct might be to try and solve whatever the issue is. It’s important to encourage children to communicate their true feelings about school though and provide non-judgemental support before rushing in to fix things. After they’ve felt comfortable enough to open up to you, you can then work on solving the problem. Here’s some advice from a prep school in the West Midlands on what you can do if your child doesn’t enjoy school.

Keep communication open

Try not to make a big thing of talking about why your child dislikes school. It is best to introduce the topic subtly and ask questions in a light-hearted way so they don’t feel like they’re being interrogated. You could say you’ve noticed them feeling anxious about going to school or not engaging with their homework, and you’ve been wondering why. Keep questions open to give your child a chance to answer fully and in their own way, rather than asking yes/no questions which shut the conversation down. If they don’t want to talk, tell them you’re there for them and happy to talk whenever they feel ready to.

Talk to teaching staff

If possible try to talk to your child’s teachers to see if they’ve noticed a change in your child’s behaviour or a reluctance to participate in activities. They might be able to give you some insight into why they dislike school, and at the very least knowing about it will help teaching staff support them. You can work with the teachers to come up with a strategy for helping your child overcome their anxieties and start enjoying school again.

Keep to a routine

Sticking to a routine will provide a sense of security for your child, so even if they start refusing to go to school make sure you keep to their normal daily schedule. This is better than rewarding your child for staying off school by letting them sleep in or spend the day watching TV. You can take this further by prompting them to complete work during the day so they realize that even if they refuse to go they will still have to do lessons. Being firm in this way will reinforce the importance of school to your child and help them realize that even though they may dislike it, it’s not optional.

With a bit of consistent support and encouragement your child may be able to work through their anxieties around school and overcome them so they don’t detrimentally affect their education. You might find them learn to enjoy school again.