You may have faced this at one time or another – your child returns from school and announces rather loudly and with authority that he hates school! Your first response may be of shock, because till this morning, there was only a very happy child going to his preschool. So, why the sudden change of heart?

After the first few weeks of preschool, a child may get bored of routine. That is why, at Montessori preschools, our schedule is child centered. A child is always the one who picks his activity and teaching and learning is based on this activity.

If your child suddenly starts hating school, here are some things you can do:

Pinpoint the issue at hand: Try to get your child to speak to you about what is making him unhappy. This may not be understood right away as your child may not know what is bothering him either. A series of conversations and gentle probing and prodding may get you somewhere eventually. He may have a problem with friends, with certain learning methods or it could be a simple problem where he may not be comfortable in the wash room – address the problem and you will be able to solve it immediately!

Accept: It is alright not to like cleaning up or putting your shoes in order. You need to accept that some things may not be as appealing as other activities in their daycare routine, but at the same time, you need to convey that it is important for some reason. Communication always helps. You could point out to your little genius that you may hate doing the laundry but nobody will have clean clothes to wear if you don’t do it! You will be surprised at how easily a child understands things when explained in a practical manner – more so when an adult relates to their problems.

Help: Helping your child overcome his negative perceptions may not always be an easy task. Sometimes it involves a lot of crying and coaxing and forcing. Sometimes it involves trying various methods before you strike gold. That’s parenting for you.

Happy Parenting!