Speaking of School: Why Children Sometimes Find It Difficult

“How was school?” is a big question. To answer, your child has to summarize a whole day, and that’s hard for kids (and even adults!).

A child might really want to say, ”My day has been so packed with ideas, classes, and social stuff that I don’t know where to start.” So it’s easier to just say “OK.”

Why it’s important to talk about school

When you talk to your child about the school day, show that you care about what is going on in their life. This interest promotes your child’s mental health, happiness, and well-being. It can also have a very positive impact on your child’s behaviour and performance. It shows your child that you value school and education, which encourages them to value them as well.

Talking about school together will also help you learn more about what is expected of your child at school, how they learn and how they deal with challenges. It can help you understand when your child is less interested in school or struggling.

If you are in touch with your child’s feelings about school, you are more likely to see problems before they become too big. This allows you to work together to overcome challenges.

And talking about school topics – like school projects or friendship problems – is also a great opportunity for you to express your family values ​​in terms of things like teamwork, respect for yourself and others, friendships, relationships, problem-solving, and so on.

Strategies for talking to your child about school

When your child comes home from school for the first time in the afternoon, they are probably tired and hungry or thinking about other things. So, easing the transition home from school or after-school activities can help encourage your child to talk.

It Is best to avoid asking your child too many questions – this can overwhelm your child. You can just tell your child you’re glad to see them and talk about extracurricular topics for a while. Younger kids will probably also be happy to unpack their bags and go through all the notes before asking about school.

Saving homework questions for later can also take the pressure off!

Every afternoon or evening will be different. Although your child is usually happy to share their day with you, there will be days when they don’t want to talk. Sometimes it’s about sensing your child’s mood and choosing the right moment. Some days there might not be a right moment at all, and that’s okay.

Simple, positive, and specific questions about parts of the day can get your child talking. It’s good to use questions that require more than a yes, no, or ok answer. For example:

• What’s new from school today?
• What was fun
• What did you like best at school today?
• What does your classroom look like at the moment?
• What did you do in class after the break?
• Who were you with today?
• What subjects did you do today?
• Which topics are you currently dealing with in science?
• Tips for talking to elementary school kids about school

These tips can help you start a conversation:

• Take the time to talk. This can often be the case when you are doing something with your child. For example, your child may enjoy talking when you are walking the dog or preparing dinner together.
• Give your child your full attention when they want to talk to you about their day.
• Take what your child tells you seriously. For example, you can say things like, “This is really interesting. What happened then?” or “And what do you think about it?”
• Use respectful language when discussing school and teachers with or in front of your child. For example: “I understand that this is frustrating, but Mrs Adams is your teacher and you must speak to her with respect” or “Yes, that seems unfair, but you may not know the full story”.
• Use active listening techniques. These can help you gauge your child’s feelings and find out if they want to talk.