The children are out of home and back at school! It’s wonderful!
Unfortunately it doesn’t mean that home is the same as it was pre-Covid! If the calm routine of your household has changed, you certainly won’t be the only one.
Question is how much should you tell the school? Help put the puzzle together. It’s time to confide in the teacher.
If nothing in your household is the same as it was at the beginning of the year, there is no shame in sharing as much as you feel comfortable. Everything that happens at home affects children either positively or negatively and invariably affects their behaviour and progress at school.
Confide in the class teacher
Schools are keen to support your child but it is difficult for a teacher to offer the right support without some understanding or knowledge of what the home is going through. It is also very important that any disruptive or out of character behaviour is not misinterpreted and unfairly dealt with. Teachers do care and want to be supportive.
Schools care about a student’s mental health
Schools were, and are even more so today, different places compared to schools even ten years ago. Today we understand that a good education involves far more than obtaining good academic results. A good school cares about the social and emotional development of each child and understands that healthy social and emotional development are integral to children developing to their full potential.
It has been widely acknowledged by both State and Federal Governments that the population’s mental health has declined or been placed under stress during the past year. This includes the mental of children. Schools too are acutely aware of the stress that households have been under and should be very compassionate and willing to support your child.
Most schools will have access to professional help for children in dire need, however, there is never enough help to cover all situations. The first and most consistent support for your child will be the class teacher, so it is very important to allow them to share your concerns. They are bound by privacy, except in the matter of child abuse, and will respect your situation.
Children can hide their worries
Children who are frightened and confused about family issues may have no one they can turn to. Often they can blame themselves for negative family events. In addition to this, children often misinterpret what they overhear at home and believe the situation to be far more serious than it actually is. It’s not uncommon for children to be carrying huge worries completely along resulting in enormous and unnecessary stress and anxiety.
A teacher’s kind word, or ability to provide a child with some ‘space’ away from pressure during the school day, can make all the difference. To help your child the teacher just needs to know!