Thank you for reaching out to Boys Town for support in this situation with your son. It sounds like it has been quite a challenge to get your son to go to school and it seems like it has been getting progressively more difficult lately. We are glad that you decided to reach out to us today to get some support and guidance with this.
There are many reasons why a child may avoid going to school, whether it’s anxiety from being around so many people, worried about homework or tests, being bullied, or a number of other reasons. Identifying specifically what it is that your son is avoiding can be a helpful starting point. How long has your son been avoiding school? If it started at the beginning of this school year or recently, it could help to look at what was going on around that point in time to see what factors might be contributing.
If there is a specific day of the week that you notice an increase or decrease in his avoidance this can help identify a trend and potentially a cause for his avoidance. On days that he does go to school, positive reinforcement can go a long way with statements like, “great job going to school today!” and “we are so proud of you for going to school!”.
We would encourage you to keep in communication with your son’s school about this. They may be able to provide additional in person support for your son. Not only do they provide transportation, but they may be able to assist with your son’s avoidance of school and offer additional solutions.
Another resource that we would like to share is the Nebraska Family Helpline: (888) 866-8660, their hotline is 24/7 and they are also able to help you navigate this situation with your son directly as well as provide any other resources needed.
We hope we were able to provide some insight and helpful guidance. We understand how much stress can come from being a parent and how difficult it is to find the right support, but it certainly is not something you need to figure out on your own. Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to support you and your family through this.
