Very anxious child when it comes to school

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by Flora, Jan 4, 2017.

  1. Flora

    Flora New Member

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    Hello I am new here and am just looking for some advice. I have a 7 yr old that has some anxiety issues when it comes to school. I believe he has separation anxiety and it causes him a lot of stress as well as us. This keeps him up at night worrying about having to go to school the next day and of course mornings are terrible. It breaks my heart to drop him off at school when he is in tears. He has some " irrational" fears when it comes to being there such as having to stay there over night or us not showing up to get him or something bad happening while he is there. I have a meeting with the school later this week because it seems to be getting worse. He excels academically but worries so much that he is now at the nurses office quite frequently with a belly ache. I have 4 older children who attend ps and never have had any issues so this is new to me. I am considering homeschooling but am worried that it will only make matters worse with him down the road. I want him to be happy and not so stressed about things but I don't want to make it harder for him later on. Obviously I would work on some of his anxiety issues while home but I am just so confused on what I should do. If anybody has any input for me I greatly appreciate it.
     
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  3. featherhead

    featherhead Member

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    I have some good friends who pulled their children from school and homeschooled for that very reason. Their youngest had a lot of anxiety, and it would make her sick. They pulled her out in grade one, and her siblings as well. Now they have graduated their three oldest from homeschooling, and it's just the youngest left. I believe she has gotten over some of her anxiety as she has gotten older. They believe it was the best decision for their family.

    Our pastor's son also had anxiety as a kid, but he grew out of it by the time he was 15 or so and went to summer camp. Now he is a very outgoing person, the lead singer of a band. They also homeschooled since he was in grade two or so.
     
  4. Celine Fame

    Celine Fame Member

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    Based on some studies 10-20% of school-aged children experiencing anxiety symptoms. In such cases, the school has to cooperate too in handling the kid's anxiety but if it worsen then a therapist or a child psychologist must be consulted. One more thing, as a parent, you can also help the child by letting him focus on positive things and let him face his fears.
     
  5. violet

    violet New Member

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    Hi, I am not much of an expert in giving advice but it is better not to homeschool him unless and until you are really sure about taking the responsibility. He is still young and there is still a lot of time to help him out. You could consult a child psychologist. You could even tell his teacher to make him feel more comfortable in class and his mates at school can also help in making him feel more at ease.
     
  6. irenerheflin

    irenerheflin New Member

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    Hey! I can understand your situation. Most of the kids are facing similar issues. I don’t think that homeschooling is a good option for him. Childhood is the time when the brain develops the most and kids need to interact with others to become successful adults in future. I came across a blog explaining about emotion coaching ( https://www.drcohen.ca/general-category/what-is-emotion-coaching/ ). Emotion coaching helps the parents to guide their children in facing different problems in their life. The kids may be having anxiety, fear, stress and many other issues. The parents can help them overcome these problems by emotional awareness, connecting, listening, naming emotions and then finding a good solution. I think it would be helpful if you try this.
     
  7. featherhead

    featherhead Member

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    I think you two may be on the wrong forum. Homeschooling is absolutely a good option for a very anxious child. They can encounter the world at their own pace. Homeschooling kids interact with all sorts of people, not just their same age peers. They are often much more socialized than their public school peers.
     

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