School phobia causes the child to stay away from school and the child to stay away from both lessons and social activities. Therefore, it should be ensured that the child returns to school without wasting time.
The longer child’s absence from school, the greater psychological symptoms that will occur in both child and his/her parents, and the more difficult it is to treat.
Dependence of the child on the mother and father should be reduced, and the fear of social relationships should be reduced by helping the child to be accepted by his / her peers.
For this, group therapies will be beneficial, so that the mental health of the child will be positively affected and the child will gain self-confidence.
The mother should stay with the child gradually during the adaptation period. Unless they have a health problem, he/she should not be prevented from going to school. When the child has physical complaints, the school should be contacted immediately.
If the child sees that on the one hand you insist on going to school and on the other hand you are trying to solve his problem, you are showing him that they have to make an effort even if they don’t want to, while trying to solve the problems they face.
Be patient, consistent and determined throughout the time when you are trying to cope with the child’s school phobia. Ignoring the problem and delaying it to the next year will only make the solution difficult.
If your child says that they do not want to go to school and cannot stay in school, definitely seek help from a child psychiatrist. School phobia is a problem of behavior and adaptation that can be solved with the cooperation of physicians, families and teachers.
Do not punish or humiliate your child for not wanting to go to school. Avoid misinterpreting the child’s bodily complaints, such as brattiness, a desire to attract attention, or behavior to annoy you.
Sedat Dörtkardeş
