Academic Issues – What ways can a parent help there child with.
Many children struggle with having issues within their school setting. Academic issues can range from problems understanding materials being taught to issues with being bullied to flat out refusal to participate/complete the assigned school work. When a child is experiencing academic issues it can very easily cause a wave of stress for all of the people that play a role in his or her life. The parents/caregivers involved may become stressed because they are continually getting calls from the school which may present a problem within their working environment. Teachers/school staff involved feel stressed and frustrated because they do not understand what may be going on in the child’s life that is contributing to the academic issues and also may not know what to do in order to help eliminate these issues. The child may experience feelings of anger, sadness, helplessness, powerlessness all of which can contribute to the child having a low self-esteem.
How to know if your child is impacted
- Low grades
- Unsatisfactory marks on progress reports and report cards
- Office referrals
- In-school/Out-of-school suspensions
- Not having friends
- Speaking negatively of his/her teacher/school most of the time
- Getting calls from the school regarding behavioral issues on a frequent basis
- Withdrawn behavior
- Low desire to talk about school
- Not bringing home homework or refusing to do the work that is sent home to complete
- Saying things like, “I’m dumb!”
- Detention
- Skipping school/Trying to get out of having to go to school
- Feeling bored/Not challenged by the lessons being taught
- Having behavior or attention problems
- Being bullied/Bullying others
When a child is experiencing any of these issues, a combination of these problems, or any other academic issue not listed it is always important for parents/caregivers to work closely with teachers and school staff in order to resolve the issues being experienced. Seeking counseling for your child, who is experiencing academic issues, outside of the school setting can be a beneficial plan of action. An individual counselor can be an outlet for a child to feel comfortable opening up to and resolving problems he or she is experiencing. Sometimes, having a person to talk to in a confidential setting can seem like a good place to open up and discuss the root of issues that are leading to issues in other parts of his or her life such as the school setting.