It’s entirely natural for a child to have next to no interest in school. Chances are, there’s been a time when you didn’t like school either. With that said, as a parent, you just need to try to steer your kid in the direction of not having such a strong disinterest in school. As you and every other parent know, education is required in order to survive as an adult; you need it in order to have a job.
But as a parent, what can you do to help create much-needed changes? Fortunately, this distaste for school doesn’t need to last throughout their academic career, so here is everything you need to know and should try!
Have a talk
Okay, so this can be slightly more challenging, but you should try to talk to your child gently. Just try to get an idea from them why they may feel this way. While yes, it can be tough, as a parent, you need to try to get down to the root of why your child feels the way that they do. Is there something happening at school? Do they have a bad teacher?
Maybe they’re struggling to see? There can be a world of reasons out there why your kid hates school, and if you gently talk to them, they’ll be inclined to answer. Remember, the key is to get them to be open. They need to know that they can express themselves. So just make sure you are gentle.
Ask them
If a conversation is too much then why not just ask some questions here and there? This could be a nice way to get them comfortable with the idea of chatting with you about this topic. You can start off by asking what their favorite topics are or the type of topics they tend to find less fun. How often does your child complain about school? Every time they complain, you can ask them what they’re feeling. Besides, depending on the situation, you can talk to the teacher and express support to your child.
Listen
Sometimes, the only thing you can do is just listen. If your child is having it rough at school, then you should listen. Just understand that you may be unable to take care of everything. In fact, there is a chance that your child doesn’t want your involvement. While yes, it can be hard trying to find some type of balance, sometimes that’s the only thing you can and should do. But try to listen to your child and try not to pry.
Be encouraging
Sometimes, as a parent, you’re going to be limited in what you can do for your little one. But something you can do is stay supportive and keep on encouraging your little one. Even if they have a distaste for school, what matters most is their willingness to learn and their love for subjects. Now, remember, this doesn’t immediately equate to them having bad grades if they dislike school.
In fact, disliking school doesn’t immediately mean that a child hates learning either. Sometimes, it’s just the environment itself or how they’re being taught that makes them dislike it. There are so many fun ways to encourage your child to learn, such as teaching thermal energy for kids through videos or getting them science-based toys for more hands-on interaction.
Try and make it fun
As stated above, sometimes it’s not learning itself that kids hate, but how they’re being taught. You wouldn’t like it if you had to sit for hours at a desk being lectured, right? Well, think of it from an energetic kid’s perspective; it’s tough on them too. So instead, why not make it fun? You can’t control how their teacher or school system teaches, but you can teach them in your own time and make it a fun (and memorable) experience for them. So make sure to keep all of that in mind!
Find like-minded peers
Some kids just dislike the peers they’re surrounded by. If a lot of kids have this same mentality that “school isn’t cool” or “learning is boring,” then this could potentially rub off on your child. While you (and your child) may be limited on what can be done, as you can’t pick the kids your children are surrounded by, you can at least help them find good peers to be around. For instance, you have a child that loves math, but too many schoolmates tease them for liking math.
Well, with this, it may get to the point where they’re too ashamed and may start disliking it. But instead, if they’re around others, such as a math club, where math is encouraged, there isn’t going to be a such strong embarrassment because they know that have peers and friends that think similarly.