School absenteeism: why do children miss school?
Missing class is not just adolescents' behavior, since many school-age children miss school. Children who do not want to go to school often do. They are tremendously skilled at getting what they want. Sometimes it is enough for them to make use of their cunning, their emotional skills and their abil
Missing class is not just adolescents' behavior, since many school-age children miss school.
Children who do not want to go to school often do. They are tremendously skilled at getting what they want. Sometimes it is enough for them to make use of their cunning, their emotional skills and their ability to persuade parents to be trapped in their networks and thus achieve their desired goal: not to go to school. But, why do children miss school?
Why some children miss school
Some children become real theater professionals. Normally, children use excuses such as "my head hurts", "my throat hurts", "my belly hurts" or "I'm not feeling well", to get their parents to take pity on them and stay in home. These are often the excuses to which they resort most frequently. And, miraculously, the pains disappear when the parents allow them not to attend school. What curious!
But who has not put the thermometer on the side of the lamp on some occasion so as not to go to class as a child? Surely many of us have done it. It is absolutely normal. However, it becomes a problem when it occurs recurrently.
But, what are the main reasons why a child misses class?
- The birth of a new brother.
- Having problems with classmates.
- Be afraid of a teacher.
- Present learning difficulties or attention problems.
- Not having studied the exam.
- Not having homework prepared.
- Insecurity and / or fear of getting a bad grade on an exam.
- Low academic performance.
- Low self-esteem ("I am not able").
- Lack of motivation and interest.
It is impossible that children do not miss at any time during the year to class. Family illnesses or situations can cause children to miss a few days a year.
However, when absences occur recurrently we must act and take action so that it does not become school absenteeism. We know that the chances of school failure in children who are absent frequently is very high.
We must help our son to face his problems or what he fears. If we allow the child not to go to school, we are encouraging and reinforcing that he avoids what he fears, and his fears will grow bigger and bigger. If we help him face what he fears, the fear will gradually become smaller until it disappears.
