GETTING YOUR CHILD IN THE SCHOOL GROOVE

IF YOU ARE A PARENT, THEN YOU PROBABLY HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO THE INNOVATIVE PLEAS & EXCUSES AND NOT SO INNOVATIVE WHINING THAT COMES FROM CHILDREN WHO FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER WOULD PREFER NOT TO RETURN TO SCHOOL. PHOBIAS, CHANGE AND BOREDOM ARE A FEW OF THE REASONS FOR THIS RELUCTANCE. THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) OFFERS THE FOLLOWING ADVICE THAT IT BELIEVES WILL HELP YOU TO BETTER COPE WITH THESE THREE (3) SITUATIONS:

PHOBIAS
CHILDREN ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH PREVIOUS OFF-PUTTING EXPERIENCES OF SCHOOL, WILL HAVE NEGATIVE EXPECTATION ABOUT THE UP COMING SCHOOL YEAR AND SCHOOL IN GENERAL. THE BEST WAY TO HELP YOUR CHILD ACHIEVE A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE IS BY GETTING THEM TO COMMUNICATE THEIR EXPECTATIONS. WHEN THEY HAVE REVEALED THEIR “PROBLEMS” TO YOU DO NOT RIDICULE THEM. INSTEAD TRY TO OFFER POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTS, SUCH AS, WORDS OF COMFORT, A POSITIVE SPIN TO A BAD EXPERIECNCE AND REWARDS WHEN THEY HAVE PUT OUT THEIR BEST EFFORT.

A COMMON SOURCE OF PHOBIA IN CHILDREN IS THE FEAR OF DISAPPOINTING THEIR PARENTS, WHICH IN TURN LEAD TO A FEAR OF SCHOOL. PARENTS CAN ASSIST WITH THIS BY EXAMINING THEIR OWN EXPECTATIONS FOR THE CHILD AND DETERMINING IF THEY ARE REALISTIC. NOT EVERY CHILD WILL SCORE STRAIGHT “A”s AND NOT EVERY CHILD WILL BE ATHLETICALLY INCLINED. MATCH YOUR EXPECTATION FOR YOUR CHILD WITH THEIR ABILITIES AND INTERESTS AND HELP THEM TO BUILD ON THEIR STRENGTHS, WHILE TRYING TO REDUCE THEIR WEAKNESSES.

IF YOU HAVE DONE ALL THIS AND YOUR CHILD’S FEAR OF SCHOOL OR SCHOOL RELATED PHOBIA PERSISTS, THEN SPEAK TO THE SCHOOLS GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR OR SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP ELSEWHERE.

CHANGE
THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL, FIRST TIME TAKING THE BUS, A NEW CLASSROOM, NEW SUBJECTS AND A NEW TEACHER ARE FIRSTS THAT WILL CAUSE SOME ANXIETY IN YOUR CHILD. CHANGE, GOOD OR BAD, BEGINS WITH SOME AMOUNT OF APPREHENSION. HOW YOU DEAL WITH THIS DISCOMFORT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOUR CHILD MAKES A SMOOTH TRANSITION. HELPING CHILDREN ADOPT TO NEW SITUATIONS WILL NOT ONLY BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE BUT WILL PROMOTE TRUST AND REINFORCE BONDS. TO HELP CHILDREN THROUGH CHANGE PARENTS SHOULD:

1. BE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE CHANGE. ACTING THIS WAY EVEN WHEN YOU DON’ T FEEL IT, WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR CHILD TO VIEW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY AND EVENTUALLY BECOME EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGE
2. PREPARE YOUR CHILD. FAMILIARIZE THEM WITH THE NEW SCHOOL OR WITH THE NEW CURRICULUM. INTRODUCE THEM TO THE NEW TEACHER AND ENCOURAGE THE FORMATION OF FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE MIDST OF SIMILAR CHANGES.
3. GET INTO A ROUTINE. BEFORE YOU SEND THEM OFF TO SCHOOL GET THEM USE TO GOING TO BED AND GETTING UP AT A SET TIME. IF THEY WILL BE TAKING LUNCH TO SCHOOL, START LEAVING PRE-PACKED LUNCHES FOR THEM IN THE WEEKS BEFORE SCHOOL BEGINS. THIS WILL HELP THEM BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO A ROUTINE AND SEE THE DEPARTURE FOR SCHOOL AS A NATURAL PROGRESSION.

BOREDOM

TO HELP CHILDREN WHO SUFFER FROM PERPETUAL BOREDOM RECOVER, PARENTS ARE ADVISED TO TRY THE FOLLOWING:

TELL THEM TO GO WITH THE FLOW – GO TO SCHOOL, GO TO CLASSES, DO WHAT IS ASKED OF THEM AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AFTER ALL WHAT COULD BE EASIER?

SAY YOU CAN LEARN IT – REMIND THEM THAT THEY ARE GIFTED WITH BRAINS THAT CAN LEARN VIRTUALLY ANYTHING SO THEY SHOULD FIND A CREATIVE WAY TO LEARN ABOUT THE TOPIC THEY BELIEVE IS BORING. REMIND THEM THAT PAYING ATTENTION NOW MEANS SUCCESS LATER

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