What can I do to help my 10 year old who is refusing to go to school?

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education.com asks:

"It happen right after he turned 10 (just 3 weeks ago). We don't know what to do. He missed 2 weeks of school. We started taking him to doctors to see what was going on, but that has not worked. Yesterday the ISO officer and the principal ripped him out of my arms and told me to leave school. He screams so loud and cried, "Mommy, don't leave me." It was the hardest thing to do. My question is, are they allowed to do that? And will my son ever get over this? Is this a life long thing? What can I do as a mother to help him?"

Asked by Angela after reading the article, "When Your Child Refuses to Go to School":
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Schoo...

In Topics: My Relationship with my child's school, Motivation and achievement at school, Discipline and behavior challenges

11 days ago

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Expert

Boys Town National Hotline

Nov 12, 2009

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What the Expert Says:

The good news is that your son will not always be afraid to go to school. If the onset of this was very sudden, most likely something happened, which can be discussed and a solution can be found. It's great that you've taken him to the doctor and ruled out anything medical or physical.

The key to helping your son is to find out why he's afraid to go to school. When you ask him why he doesn't want to go to school, does he give you a specific reason? If he isn't able to articulate why he's afraid to go to school, ask him some very specific questions about a variety of possible problems. Is he being bullied by someone? Is the school work too hard for him? Did something embarassing happen to him at school? Did he get a bad grade on a test and he's embarassed to face the teacher? Maybe you son is experiencing general anxiety. To get to the bottom of it, ask him what symptoms he has in the morning when he thinks about going to school. Does he experience a racing heart, sweaty hands, or fearful thoughts? If he describes any of these thoughts, he may be experiencing generalized, or test anxiety. There are many behavioral and cognitive techniques he can use to calm down his body and mind. Those include deep breathing, positive self-talk, and distraction. Have him talk to his school counselor to discuss how each of these techniques can help him.

As a mother, you can give him lots of positive reinforcement. You may have to get stern when explaining to him that going to school is not an option. Tell him that he has to go, and that he will have to continue to go until he finishes high school. Explain to him that you will be there to help him get through it. He's not all alone, and the only way you can help him is if he tells you what's making him not want to go. If he's unwilling to talk to you, ask another trusted adult or relative (such as an older brother or uncle) to try speaking with him. Eventually he'll talk to someone about his feelings. When he does, he'll be more likely to be willing to go back to school.

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Additional Answers (3)

fuffy writes:

Maybe you should go to school one of these days and spend the day with him, I think he feels afraid of someone or something and he does not know how to tell you, and don't let the principal or anybody else tell you that you can't spend the day, because you have all the rights to do so, and good luck:)

11 days ago

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lasha writes:

try to taik to him and se why he do not want to go to school. or u could try to do something with him after school.and tell him that if he goes to school every day u and him could do more things together

5 days ago

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Loddie1 , Parent writes:

Hello, your child is 10 and the reaction he is having to school is not really normal. The fact the school used force when trying resolve the issue tells me they do not know how to properly handle the situation. I would seek out another school or homeschool until your child feels comfortable again.

4 days ago

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