Every kid more or less complains about school. But five to ten percent of kids dislike it so much that
they don't want to attend. lf a child seems upset or anxious about school, pretends to be sick to stay
home, repeatedly winds up in the nurse's or principal's office, or refuses to talk about the school day,
you should be concerned.
     One fear that keeps children from enjoying school is separation anxiety. It most frequently occurs
during times of family problems or when a child is about to enter a new school. With younger kids, watch
how you say good-bye those first few days of school. A firm "Have a great day, and I'll pick you up at
2: 30!" is more confidence-inspiring than" Don't worry. I can be there in ten minutes if you need me. "
     You can help your child handle fearful situations-from speaking up in class to taking tests-by
rehearsing at home. Help make large projects less discouraging by breaking them into manageable
pieces. Teach your child to replace thoughts such as "I'm going  to  fail" with" I can  handle this".
     Some kids dislike school because they have no friends. This may be the case if your child is always
alone, fakes illness to avoid class outings or gives away treasured possessions in an attempt to be liked.
Often loneliness problems can be solved by improving social skills. A child may need to learn how yo
look others in the eye when he speaks, or how to talk above a whisper -or below a yell. You might
teach a young child a few "friendship openers", such as "Myname's Tom. What's yours? Do you want to
play games?"