School Refusal: A Disorder Affecting a Child's Education

School refusal is an actual disorder that effects children of all ages. When it is evident in the pre-schooler, it is called: separation anxiety.

The child who refuses to go to school makes for a very unhappy household. Imagine that every single day of the week, you have to get up and fight your child out of bed. And I mean every single week day. No matter your actions, attitude, or your promise, you are facing a child that refuses to get out of bed. You can bribe the child with money, bikes, fast food, coolest clothes, best ever shoes, sleep overs, cell phone, huge t.v. sets, or gaming systems, and the child doesn't budge.
You start out sweet...come on honey time to get up, then you go to...come on hon, shake a leg, to... you must be getting up now...then you better get up, your gonna miss the bus, to... get up nowwww, I have been waking you up for an half an hour. Your gonna be late..there is no reason for being late. Get up and get ready, you can still make the bus if you get up this second....then, get your butt up and I mean nowww....if you don't get up right now..no phone for you...no friends over...no computer time tonight. So, you better get moving or you can walk to school, I'm not driving you. Until it reaches the point of...if your late again the school will call the police. Get out of bed........

It's a feeling of parental failure, you don't know how to "fix" the child. You can try to punish the child for disliking school. That always backfires. You can get the child to school, late but eventually. Still your hands are tied-because the child refuses to participate in his education. The child won't do any of the class work or bring home books or do projects. You can't rip him out of bed everyday no more than the teacher can force him to write an assignment.