34: School avoidance: what to do if your teen is missing school.

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The 'social contract' between families and schools has been broken during the pandemic, and ongoing absence of kids is a 'deep and concerning problem' according to Amanda Spielman, chief of the UK schools watchdog. Rates of school refusal and truanting are a huge problem in other countries too. 

Finding the right approach for dealing with it is crucial, because whatever the reason for missing school it takes a lot of fixing and is a symptom of something else that needs to be unpicked. 

RESOURCES:

The printable anxiety iceberg sheet:
https://phecanada.ca/sites/default/files/content/docs/teach-resiliency/Iceberg.jpg

How to make a self-soothe box:
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/blog/how-to-make-a-self-soothe-box/

A really good blog that works through steps you can take:
https://medium.com/@ArthurCWoods/help-my-teenager-wont-return-to-school-d770203fcbac

Book: The Ultimate Guide to Working with your School: The School Avoidance Masterclass for Parents,” Jane Demsky

Can’t Not Won’t - Eliza Fricker, helping and understanding children who are unable to go to school.
https://naomi-fisher.mykajabi.com/notfineatschool

RESEARCH AND LINKS TO HELP:
www.schoolrefusal.co.uk

Parenting Tips 26: How to help your teen with friendship skills.
Parenting Tips 19: What if you don't like your teen's friends?
Parenting Tips 17: The lying teenager.
Parenting Tips 16: Boy friendships.
Parenting Tips 14: Anxiety.
Parenting Tips 12: Bullying.
Parenting Tips 10: Girls navigating friendship groups.
Parenting Tips 5: The academic struggler.

• https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/school-education/truancy-other-school-problems/truancy-9-15-years
• https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/school-anxiety-and-refusal/#:~:text=About%20the%20term%20'school%20refusal,other%20professionals%20using%20this%20term.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534195/
• https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/2/e20183648/37326/The-Link-Between-School-Attendance-and-Good-Health?searchresult=1?autologincheck=redirected
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201709/understanding-school-refusal#:~:text=School%20refusal%20is%20different%20from%20truancy&text=Children%20who%20are%20truant%20from,can%20happen%20at%20any%20age.
• https://impactparents.com/blog/adhd/child-really-doesnt-care-school/

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I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

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