How to Fight Back to School Dread

Is hating school normal? 🙍

There’s no sugarcoating it, most kids will hate school at some point. Back to school dread often increases as kids get older. By the time your child reaches their teenage years, you can almost bank on the fact that there are a million other things they’d rather be doing than going to school.

Why don’t kids like school? 😤

Some kids may not even know why they don’t like school. As for the reasons they can articulate, here are 5 of the most common ones: 

1. Homework 📚

The idea behind homework is that kids will go home and revise what they’ve learned in the classroom. It’s a sort of self-learning that teachers can use to understand whether or not the child has grasped the concept. But let’s be real, kids hate doing homework, especially after a long day of learning. 

2. Rules, Authority And Restricted Freedoms 🙇

Most kids, like most adults, don’t enjoy being told to fall in-line or what to do. But adults can at least understand the reasons behind the rules. Children often just see rules as a way of having their freedom restricted.

For example: a kid may not understand why they have to wear a uniform or why they can’t just go to the bathroom when they feel like it. Not understanding the rules can lead to kids developing a negative attitude towards authority. 

3. Forced socialisation and bullying 🥊

Everyone is different and where you come from has an impact on who and how you are. When kids are forced into uncomfortable social settings or to make friends with people they don’t get along with simply because they attend the same school, they can grow to hate it. 

The forced socialisation of children from a young age because of school can lead to bullying. For example, when a kid from a different neighbourhood attends a school outside of their area, they’re forced to interact daily with children whose realities or home environments may be very different to theirs. This leads to a lack of understanding and can result in the child being treated differently or even bullied. 

4. School hours ⏰

Even most adults don’t enjoy getting up early or having to balance their budgets to pay for new school equipment. But much like the rules, adults understand that this is simply something that they have to do. For kids, it’s not as simple to rationalise the hours that a school day demands, and they lose interest in learning, especially when they’re tired.

5. Stress 😩

Yes, stress is a part of life, but it should never go unmanaged and pressure can make it so much worse. When parents or teachers put pressure on children to meet certain grade targets this can cause stress.

Instead, teachers and parents should focus on acknowledging the successes of kids in subjects that they’re clearly good at, whilst encouraging them to try their best with the subjects they don’t enjoy. 

So what can parents do to prevent back to school dread?

Here’s what you can do if your child hates school

• Don’t assume you know why they hate school. Communicate with them about their feelings instead.
• Consider the role you’ve played and how you could have contributed to these feelings. Do you compare your child to their peers? Do you tend to nag them about doing their schoolwork? The reasons they hate school could be closer to home than you think.
• When discussing their attitudes toward school, be sure not to judge or show a lack of understanding. Rather try to listen and facilitate an open conversation about what they’re feeling. Give them your full attention in these moments.
• Shift your focus from academics and school to them, what they need from you and how you can work together to turn things around. 

One of the most common reasons for a child to not like school is because they’re struggling to understand the work or keep up with the workload. That’s where GoStudent tutors come in! Book your free trial lesson today and find out how we can assist with your child's learning.