School phobia - how to overcome school phobia and help a child?

School phobia is a type of situational neurosis. The child is afraid, and thoughts about school are accompanied by jittery and panic. Symptoms from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon are characteristic and disappear during the weekend. How to help your child deal with school phobia and overcome school anxiety?

School phobia can affect both primary and secondary school children. It should not be underestimated, because it can have a terrible impact not only on the child's learning results, but also on his psyche - and such problems sometimes spread and turn into serious disorders.

How to help your child deal with school phobia and overcome school anxiety?

Table of Contents:

1. What is school phobia?
2. Symptoms of school phobia
3. How to overcome a child's fear of school - advice for parents

What is school phobia?

Real school phobia is not a simulation of a child, it is not an excuse, such as "finger and head ..." but real ailments that worsen during the week when the child has to go to school. It is a neurotic disorder in which the cause of anxiety is school as such and everything related to it.

Without the support of loved ones, it is difficult for a child to cope with a complicated situation at school, teacher requirements or conflicts between peers. Therefore, students who are not brought up in an atmosphere of love, acceptance and support may be prone to school phobia.

The teaching staff, their approach, willingness to help, level of patience, commitment and professionalism also have a huge impact on faster and more reliable finding in the school reality. So a child's ability to communicate their needs and the need for parents to listen is a success for a young person to get help.

Symptoms of school phobia

Symptoms of school phobia are, as mentioned above, fear and reluctance to go to school, despite the feeling of compulsory education. However, all sorts of other symptoms may also occur, such as shortness of breath, headaches, stomachaches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, increased temperature, palpitations, fainting, trouble with fluent speech, etc.

Occasionally, fear of school can cause shyness, depression, withdrawal, or, for example, aggressive behavior.

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In some cases, it is even recommended to change schools so that the child starts all over again with no burden. In the case of suspicion of school phobia, a psychologist or a psychiatrist should be consulted because failure to obtain professional help by the child and his family may result in disturbances in the normal rhythm of education, as well as in peaceful, comprehensive development.

How to overcome a child's fear of school - advice for parents

• When a child is a perfectionist. For example, the parent should make the young man not run away from his duties, even when he feels that he is not satisfied enough with himself and with his progress. Our task is to support our children, you can tell them about our school experiences when something did not go as we would like, what we felt then, how we solved a given situation.
• When the child does not meet the parents' requirements. A parent who does not want to cultivate the fear of failure in his child should definitely avoid expressions such as: "Give your best this time, too," or "You will do us great fun if you pass this test with a five, we do not accept lower marks." Our child should never have his wings cut, and we should build his self-esteem. Remember the child does not learn for us, but for himself.
• When a child has peer difficulties or struggles with any form of violence at school. In such a situation, the parent should not agree to leave school with impunity and stay at his child's home due to problems between peers, but take the matter into his own hands and necessarily talk about the situation with the teacher, if necessary, and the principal and parents of other children from the class. Our child should never feel discriminated against, ridiculed or harassed and harassed in school.
• When a child has a difficult family situation at home. Parents should, as far as possible, eliminate those factors that are dependent on themselves to indicate disturbances in family life. Because only in a situation of relative peace at home can a vulnerable child develop and learn at school in peace. Because even if one of the parents has just lost their job, or the adults are unable to get along on many issues, under no circumstances should it affect the child, love, respect and acceptance of his person.
• When a child struggles with hostile teaching staff. There is nothing worse if educators, people prepared to work with children, are unable to distinguish a typical school phobia from ordinary truancy, and they label their pupils unfairly and impede the process of adapting to the new school situation. And here the parent should be vigilant and step in if necessary, because good, i.e. systematic teacher-parent, parent-teacher contacts are the key to success.
• When a child sees and feels that the parents are demonizing the school. If a child grows up convinced that the school is not the most important thing, but the money earned, or hears stories of their parents about their terrible school experiences, it is no wonder that the child may develop fear of school. Parents should never bully school, educate their children against each other, and ridicule and mock them.
• When a child experiences separation anxiety, fear of the unknown. Bad adaptation to new conditions and, consequently, the fear of being abandoned by the loved ones disturb the young person's sense of their own safety. Before each breakup, parents must find a moment to remind their toddler how much they love him that they will never leave him because he is the most important person in the world for them.
• When a child has complexes towards the peer group. Being obese, red, freckled, eyewear, lisping or, for example, dyslexic, is for some children, those with a weaker mental structure, a reason for shame and withdrawal from the group. Parents should always explain to their children that it is beautiful, that people are different. And being different does not mean worse, because it is only superficiality, what counts is what we have inside, what kind of person we are. Just as we treat others, they will treat us.
• When the child experiences various kinds of stressful situations. School phobia can sometimes be accompanied by various types of stressful situations, not attributable to the child's own fault, e.g. parents' divorce, death of a close relative in the family, change of residence, depressive tendencies or compulsion resulting from submission to the group. Parents should also be vigilant this time, always serve with a good word and advice, all for the good of the young man. Parents should never mistake love for being overprotective.

Attention, this is important! Parents should know that school phobia is never pretended, and that a child needs help and support!