Up to 18% of children between the ages of 3 and 14 dread going to school. Children of divorced parents are the most affected by going back to school.
Summer means a change of routines for the youngest children, which affects the attitude they may have when facing the return to school. Long naps or the lack of them, long hours in front of the TV, getting up and going to bed late, or the change in eating habits are some of the behaviors that, with the beginning of the new school year, end in the majority of occasions.
The experts at Top Doctors®, the leading digital company in the identification of top doctors and medical centers, explain the profile of the children who are most vulnerable to going back to school and what are the keys for parents and children to face this new stage.
What is the profile of the children who are most vulnerable to going back to school?
Currently, up to 18% of children are afraid of going to school between the ages of 3 and 14, of which 1% of them develop school phobia. This fear can occur at any age, although the highest peaks are between 3 and 4 years of age and between 11 and 12 years, linked mainly to the fear of separation from parents, to some other specific phobia, a social fear or an obsessive disorder.
Experts say that boys tend to have more trouble than girls adjusting to the changes and thus coming to terms with going back to school. “Most parents say that it is more difficult for them to handle boys than girls. This may be due to the fact that sometimes, unconsciously, we fall into gender stereotypes and allow or tolerate boys to be more aggressive while we censure girls more sharply,” says Pablo Alonso García, psychologist and member of Top Doctors.
Special attention to the children of divorced parents… and to the parents.
On the other hand, doctors say that children of divorced parents tend to experience more worries and perceive greater instability in their reference figures, which can also affect their ability to adapt to going back to school and subsequent academic performance, since the holiday period is usually an oasis for them.
“Parents, regardless of their marital status, must act with the same guidelines, and these limits and routines must be extended to grandparents, stepparents and any adult responsible for the child,” says Dr. Alonso. “All adults responsible for the child’s education should agree and when in doubt consult with the parents”.
After-school classes only to promote and enhance cultural and entertainment areas.
Work and rest are complementary and this idea should be established in both children and adults. Encouraging children’s curiosity, transmitting positive messages and following up daily on how they are coping with this new stage is vital to make the process of facing the return to school more bearable for the little ones. “The start of the new school year should be seen as the beginning of a cycle that has to be stimulated with curiosity, development and progress,” says Dr. Fernando Almansa Pastor, psychiatrist and member of Top Doctors. “The workload should be progressive, so that the youngest children can gradually reach a high work rate. School subjects should be framed within the center’s hours, and should be complemented with homework. Likewise, extracurricular classes are only recommended for children to carry out cultural and artistic activities, such as piano, dance or painting classes.
A gradual return to routines, the key for parents and children
Parents are the mirror in which many children look at themselves. For this reason, the behavior that family members have with the little ones at the beginning of the school year is vital for the little ones to know how to face the different changes and stages that occur. “Discipline and affection are the pillars on which the education of the youngest children must be based. The concept of discipline includes establishing certain routines and teaching them to adapt to changes, so that these are not a problem for them,” says Dr. Pablo Alonso García, a specialist in psychology and member of Top Doctors.
The first days of the school year are a reflection of how the school year may go, so it is important that parents are aware of the attitude and behavior of children, through questions to know the degree of acceptance and adaptation “How lucky you are, you will see your class friends again, you will go swimming, you have to think about your Halloween costume are some expressions that parents should use to highlight the positive and highlight things that children may find more enjoyable,” says the psychologist.