Parents of Preschoolers  Discussion Forum

Hi,

My 4.5 year old son is very reluctant to go to school. He had gone to his play school without any fuss. At home he is a naughty and lively kid but he becomes timid at school.

I tried making him speak out his fears to me. He said he feels lost in the new school, says he cannot trace out his classroom. To help him out I told him to locate the swings in the playground and told him that his classroom was just located opposite the swings.

Now that I had given him a solution to finding his classroom he is trying to find alternate excuses of not going to school(says my friend hits me, someone in the bus hit me etc. etc).

Last week he had to take 2 days leave from school due to fever. Now he is bent upon falling sick to avoid school - even refuses to take medicines to get well. Somehow I coaxed him into taking his medicines.

I know that he is taking time to settle down in school. I also try to talk about his school and his friends and teachers out there everyday. He talks cheerfully everyday about what he did in school. But somehow when he has to get ready for school I can see that fear crop up. At times he cries and speaks about it. At times to tries to be brave but I can see that he is not very comfortable.

Anything in particular, I should do to get him over his initial fears regarding school.

Please suggest. s replied. it is the insecurity,one on one interaction,attention,and pampering the kids miss in school.preschools are more fun and less academics so most of the kids enjoy perschools as the number of children per teacher are also less so the teachers are more close and attentive to their needs but when the children reach kindergarten stage the academics are given more emphasis they find all the fun suddenly gone the teachers are also stressed out as she has to handle so many kids at one time and might lack to give more attention to one particular student than the other
the best way is to talk to his teacher about it and put things into hernoticeand ask her if you can volunteer in the school once a week that way you will also come to know what is making him react that way,
their can be numerous reasons one of the best reason is attention .parent particitation also helps you to bond with the teacher and in turn helps the teacher bond with the child.
also youcan talk to the parents of the other children in the class and bond with them if you child has at least one good friend from school with whom he can communicate from home, then he has something to look forward to in the school.friends are the key keep in touch with his friends family.