Having trouble in school can have a big effect on a child's emotional health.
It's important to keep an eye on this and give them praise and encouragement.
- It's hard for a kid to see others reading longer, harder books when they are struggling with simpler ones. Or to get bad grades or comments on writing assignments when they don't know why.
- Many come to believe that they are not smart. This can start a dangerous slide into a stretch of low self esteem that can last years and affect many parts of their life.
- Click on this link to see a 1-minute video about how kids can feel when they have trouble in school.
Self-esteem is when a person feels confident that they can do something well. Low self-esteem is a big problem and often comes from having trouble in school. It's really important for kids to have good self-esteem!
Here's what you can do:
Be encouraging, not critical.
- Kids who struggle in school are often pretty sensitive about it. Criticism can be devastating.
- Try to keep positive, no matter what happens.
- Remind them that it's the effort that counts: all they need to do is try their best.
- Praise them for things they do well and when they get through a difficult task.
- Recognize effort, not whether it's right or wrong ("Wow, you're working so hard!")
Find things your child is good at and make them part of their daily life.
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Do they like a sport? Music? Art? Card games? Anything they feel good about doing?
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Schedule those in and give them plenty of time to spend on those activities.
Notice if they seem unhappy and get help if needed.
- Keep an eye on your child's mood and self-esteem. If they seem out of sorts or down, or if they seem to make comments about not being smart or "good enough", don't ignore this!
- Talk to them about how they feel. Ask their school to have them talk to a counselor.
- If they seem extremely anxious or unhappy, or are acting out at home, talk to their doctor and ask about behavioral health options. Behavior is often a sign of an underlying emotional concern. There are people they can see to help with emotional issues. See this other section: Helping your child with behavior challenges. (It will open in a new tab.)
It is important to address emotional concerns right away before they become more serious!