Subtle Signs Your Child Has Problems at School

Whether we look at school, sports, or other extracurricular activities, “fitting in” plays an important role in any child’s life. Have you ever opened up this subject within your home? Asking your child how he or she feels among other people/in groups is essential. Even a slight discomfort in their response could be a sign of anxiety.

Feelings of vulnerability, self-consciousness, and inability to communicate properly should also raise important questions. If your child has become more reticent lately, something’s up.
 
In order to prosper in life, follow a successful path, and even lead later on, your child must develop certain qualities. Living in fear is neither beneficial, nor ethical. Thus, make sure you keep an open dialogue, and notice if your child has experienced any of the following subtle signs of anxiety.

They don’t want to attend school
“Mommy, daddy, I don’t want to go to school today. Can I please stay home and watch TV?” Ever heard that phrase? If so, open up a conversation, and discuss the reasons behind these questions. Kids are naïve, so they probably won’t even know where the conversation is heading towards.
A bullied child will want separation, seclusion, and most likely, loneliness. However, signs of over-affection might be noticeable as well. They will try to squeeze you, will be extremely happy when they see you, and might not want to leave the house without you.

They’re suddenly afraid of their surroundings
If your child is constantly analyzing his or her surroundings, there must be something odd happening. While it’s true that children like exploring new places, and getting lost in new adventures, fear is never part of the process. That’s something they would never enjoy. A good parent knows his/her child. The first time you see them acting anxiously, take action!

They’re hungry when they get home
Pay attention to the amount of food your child consumes. If they’re too hungry when they get home, start asking yourself questions. To be sure of your concerns, design an experiment. Send them to school with an extra sandwich, and give them $5 to purchase whatever they want. If they’re coming home with their stomach empty again, start calling the teachers.

They are not opened to communication
If your child is reticent when talking about their day, have a chat with them. Children are usually very talkative and enthusiastic about their daily lives and activities. Ask them how their day went, and they’re going to ramble about it for hours.
If this is not your case, start asking deeper questions. “Is there something that bothers you at school, my love?” “Are children nice to you?” Try to somehow get the conversation started. After doing that, slowly get dive into the main subject. You don’t want to scare them.

They lose important items
Keep track of your child’s personal belongings. If they constantly lose their items, something worrisome might be going on. It’s been demonstrated that some children give away their toys or lunches to other kids as a sign of begging for acceptance. Discover if that’s the case with your child.

They don’t have friends
That’s a tricky one. If your child has no friends, there’s a high chance he/she is shy around others, so don’t worry about it at first. However, if they seem to continue having this problem even after several months in the same place, there’s a high chance they’re being bullied.

They’re unusually quiet for their age
Kids are not quiet! You should know that by now. If your child is being weirdly quiet all of a sudden, analyze the situation, and take proper action.

Conclusion
The above list includes only few of the subtle signals of anxiety in children. Stay on track by constantly observing your child’s actions. Follow up on their day! If you hear them hesitating, ask more questions, see if they are willing to open up. If you can’t solve the problem on your own, ask a teacher to help and observe their behavior in an academic setting as well.
 
About our guest contributor:  Olivia is a young journalist who is passionate about topics of career, recruitment and self-development. She constantly tries to learn something new and share this experience on aussiewritings.com writing service as well as on other relevant websites. You can follow Olivia on Twitter.