![]() Their ability to reason with their formerly reasonable child leaves parents feeling disoriented, disheartened and helpless. They tend to be baffled by their child’s sudden lack of reasoning and resilience. How to make parenting decisions like a boss Daily arguments, typically starting in the groggy early mornings, about the importance of getting up and getting to school, often prove entirely fruitless for parents. This phenomenon can throw family life into chaos. What’s school refusal? Though not currently considered a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), it is listed as a symptom of various anxiety disorders, major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Here’s what to know in case your child refuses to go back to school. ![]() And for the first time this summer, I’ve already received calls from concerned parents looking to address this concern before the school year even starts. Getting back into classrooms full-time will prove to be a struggle for many who are used to the comfort and solitude of their bedrooms and screens. Many kids I’ve worked with relished being at home when classes were conducted online, a reprieve from many of the issues driving their anxiety and depression. The pandemic disrupted the spring 2020 semester and the entire 2020-2021 school year. With the increase in adolescent depression and anxiety over the past several years, I see this problem getting worse every year – and I fear this school year may be the worst yet. Many school refusing kids suffer a combination of these stressors. ![]() And a high school sophomore client fell far behind in tests and assignments, and feared facing his teachers, so he refused to attend school for the remainder of the semester. Another teen was deeply depressed about her appearance and could not stand the idea of peers seeing her and potentially judging her. ![]() One child I work with refused to attend school due to profound social anxiety, fearful that other kids would ignore him, make fun of him, or bully him. “School refusing” kids do not refuse for just a day or two, but for weeks, months, sometimes semesters on end. These are not kids demanding mental health days. Shortly after school starts every year, I receive calls from concerned parents of teens and tweens indicating that their child simply refuses to go to school. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |