School may be a fun and difficult experience at the same time. The schooling experience of a young person is influenced by a variety of elements, including peer interactions, learning capacity, and home life. School refusal is a disorder in which a youngster frequently refuses to attend school or struggles to remain enrolled. There are many different reasons why kids can avoid going to school to deal with stress or fear. A young kid who experiences difficulties in these areas may grow to dislike going to school. School rejection is the deliberate avoidance of school, either not going to school or not being there all day. Online School refusal counseling is essential, it aims at identifying the fears, likes, and dislikes, behavior modification, and therapies by a child psychologist. Seek online counseling with the best child psychologist at TalktoAngel, the best kid therapy platform in Asia.

School rejection can happen at any point in a young person's academic career, but high school is where it most frequently happens. According to a study conducted in Australia by Youth Support Coordinators, school refusal is more likely to occur when a student is transitioning from one school to another or from elementary to high school. According to Australian studies, up to 9% of students may at some point be denied admission to their schools.

There may be a variety of causes for kids to avoid going to school. Bullying and anxiety incidents appear to be two important causes. Because anxiety frequently presents as physical symptoms like headaches and nausea, it can be challenging for parents to determine whether their child's complaint is purely psychological or medical in origin. Determine the nature of the concerns by consulting a doctor and keeping track of the timing of physical complaints. Other common components include:

• Problems with peer relationships
• Difficulty or fear around teachers
• Switching to high school
• Family tension
• Traumatic experience
• Academic difficulties
• Warning indications of potential school rejection

Some signs that your child may be skipping school include:

• At school
• Frequent absences from school without justification
• Regularly arriving late to school
• Absenteeism on important days (e.g., days on which tests or specific classes are scheduled)
• Several requests to visit the sick bay
• Requests to phone or leave for home on a regular basis during the day

School Refusal Warning Signs at Home

• Complaints of bodily discomfort, such as headaches, when reading for school
• An unwillingness or refusal to dress for school
• Bad remarks regarding the school
• A reluctance to discuss their school experiences in public

What can parents and teachers do to help kids who are refusing school?

Parents and instructors should help children maintain their school attendance while also addressing any initial concerns they may have. Young people get the chance to express their feelings and feel heard when open-ended questions are asked and collaborative problem-solving is incorporated into the learning process. To deal with your child's school rejection, try the following:

Determine the problem: Understanding your child's anxiety can aid in problem-solving and the creation of plans for assisting them in returning to school. Working through your child's anxieties and worries and giving them tools to handle unpleasant situations may be more suitable if your child is anxious about a shift. The issue causing your child to refuse school can be clarified with the help of an online psychologist, who also helps you put in can place effective techniques to ease your child's transition back into the classroom.

Maintain order and predictability: Your child's anxiety about going to school can be reduced and positive school experiences can be facilitated by keeping morning routines and school routines (such as classroom and playground routines) calm and predictable. Routines can incorporate activities that you are aware of as calming for your child, such as sketching, getting a shower, heading to school, and seeing their friends at the gate.

Maintain a dialogue: Be your child's advocate and supporter, and maintain open lines of communication with the school about the reasons why your child is afraid to go to school and what they need there to feel safe. Help your kid decide which staff members they would feel comfortable asking for support from, and make sure to follow up with these staff members on a frequent basis. Be honest with your child about the value of attending school and what you as a parent, the school, and they can do to help them.

Create a sense of belonging to the school: A child's sense of confidence and contentment at school can improve when they feel like valued members of the school community. Request advice from your child's teacher on how to encourage your child's talents and interests at school and build on school friendships by bringing friends over for playdates after school and on the weekends. Don't let your child's attendance at school go unnoticed, and thank them for their efforts.

Set some targets: Setting little goals with your child might help them develop a sense of confidence and power over their anxiety. Facing scary circumstances is never an easy process. Set small, attainable goals with your child and their support system (such as teachers, friends, and grandparents) to help them get back into school, such as attending to school in the morning, having mom walk them in, and sitting near the teacher. Help your child replace any negative thoughts they may have along the way, such as "I hate school," with more constructive ones based on their experiences, such as "getting to school in the morning was ok, I got to visit my closest friend and read my favorite book." Reward your child for all of their accomplishments and keep putting modest, manageable goals in front of them so they can return to school.

Contributed by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, & Life Coach & Ms Varshini Nayyar, Psychologist