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My son won't go to school.. im in shit for it

427 replies

Notoschool · 25/01/2022 10:31

My son is 14. He's been refusing school since around September. He's probably been 5 or 6 times since. He gives lots of different reasons such as he does not like the teacher . Or he feels anxious in the class. He hates the lesson. His reasons seem to change.

He has been self harming by cutting himself. He's been offered counselling at school.but as hes not going to school that's not happening. We have asked for help from camhs that was refused. So we have appealed. We found another counselling/support service for young people they are giving him 3 sessions. And that ends. As they are reducing their services. At the moment we have some support from early help but apparently that comes to a close in around 3 weeks.

My son has been very aggressive to the point he scares me. He's done things like smash up the doors in the house put holes in a partition wall. He's also verbally aggressive.

Recently the school offered him part time time table. To start at 11.15 . He agreed with this . Apart from the Monday where he wanted to start at lunchtime. The school refused this . But I really stood up for ds . As I thought this was better than not going at all. I agree its not right but surely a step in the right direction. His body language had changed and his tone. I really thought he was going to do it . So he went to school on the Friday. Come Monday He's refusing again I actually agued his point with the school so now it's made me look really bad and now he's made it impossible for me to have any valued say in a meeting that's going to happen in a few days.

Hes always asking for money to top his phone up. For food when he's out. Or just general things that teens often want . He wanted money Friday. I said once I know your at school I will transfer you money. Then on Tuesday as long as you have been to school on the Monday and Tuesday. I will top up your phone. But he did not stick to this agreement. So I have not topped up his phone. He told me how selfish I am . And said to me things like: "you only have to do a simple thing. It's like you want me to cut." He has said several similar things.

I'm actually frightened that because I'm refusing to give him money or top up his phone he's going to become very aggressive later on.

The school have told me there is going to be a meeting the local authorities will be there. I have been told I can get a large fine. Could get a tag or even go to prison . My son has told me he does not care. I'm told the law says its my responsibility to get him to school but no one can actually tell me how I can get him in school. He's 14 and 6ft tall I can't physically get him there.

I'm really scared of this whole situation. But I feel totally trapped in the situation and don't know what to do. My son just won't engage.

OP posts:
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6
theskyispurple · 25/01/2022 15:44

Oh and totally ignore any posts like @AuntMargo - that's absolute bullshit and cones from someone with no experience of children and their behaviour

Ellowyn · 25/01/2022 15:52

How absolutely awful! I can't imagine one of my sons acting like this. My husband and I would have nipped any bad behavior in the bud.

Did it happen overnight? I mean, did he go from being an adoring little boy one day, looking up and trying to please you, to smashing your house up overnight?

Do you think that something really bad happened at school to make him so scared of going?

SoTiredNeedHoliday · 25/01/2022 15:57

@Ellowyn sometimes mental health issues can't be 'nipped in the bud' right away..... Teens acting like this is generally because they are scared, anxious or a there a whole not more going on. Its not just bad behavior for the sake of it.
The OP is doing what is right for her son, she's standing up, asking for help and advocating for him. At 14 he can't express himself properly. The poor boy and OP.

Wilkolampshade · 25/01/2022 16:00

@Ellowyn good for you. Twat.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 25/01/2022 16:04

@Ellowyn

How absolutely awful! I can't imagine one of my sons acting like this. My husband and I would have nipped any bad behavior in the bud.

Did it happen overnight? I mean, did he go from being an adoring little boy one day, looking up and trying to please you, to smashing your house up overnight?

Do you think that something really bad happened at school to make him so scared of going?

Glad you found it so easy. Nobhead.

These posts drive me insane with the number of self righteous pricks that descend to tell us their children wouldn't have behaved like that.

Well guess what... it's not actually your holier than thou opinions they need.

Jog on and go join a "aren't my children amazing" thread or something.

megletthesecond · 25/01/2022 16:05

The police can't really help in these cases. They know CAMHS are shit and children and parents are being let down.

The police who've been to my house eye roll when I explain I've been trying to get support from CAMHS for years and they won't do anything. The police have been fab at kicking various departments up the backside though and we have finally got a family support worker and a CAMHS assessment referral.

Ellowyn · 25/01/2022 16:06

[quote SoTiredNeedHoliday]@Ellowyn sometimes mental health issues can't be 'nipped in the bud' right away..... Teens acting like this is generally because they are scared, anxious or a there a whole not more going on. Its not just bad behavior for the sake of it.
The OP is doing what is right for her son, she's standing up, asking for help and advocating for him. At 14 he can't express himself properly. The poor boy and OP.[/quote]
That's what I asked; scared to go to school - what happened at the school?

My son's could express themselves perfectly well at age 14 - that is not an age thing is it now. Really!

And the demanding money - that is not caused by poor mental health. That's manipulation.

One thing we can agree with is "poor boy and poor OP". Something has gone terribly wrong in this boy's life. I wanted to know WHEN it happened. Did he go from a darling little boy to a potentially violent person overnight?

Many PP have asked, is his father helping sort his son's problems out?

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 25/01/2022 16:08

@StepAwayFromGoogling

You do sound like you've been enabling his behaviour. Surely you shove him out the door with his achool clothes and tell him to get to school? You don't let him loaf about in the house all day. And you've still been giving him money to go out and top up his phone? So what have the consequences for him not going to school been up to now?
To you and other similar posters ... Did you read that this is a child who is self harming? I think the problems are a little bit deeper than the parents enabling, and the solution may need more than driving him to school and making sure he's through the door.

Not that I know what to suggest, hopefully some qualified people will be along to help, if it were my child I'd be speaking to his GP and not allowing to be fobbed off by school or CAHMS. I hope someone who works professionally in these areas will be along to help.

FelicityBennett · 25/01/2022 16:10

I can’t add anything to the already good advice you’ve received
Just wanted to say in some areas CAMHS do have a crisis line 24/7 you could try if he is self harming and struggling
If you google where you live plus camhs crisis line it might bring up a number to ring
Eg www.liverpoolcamhs.com/emergency-advice/

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 25/01/2022 16:10

There are certain steps the school has to take and letters about attendance is one of them. Unfortunately, it frightens and angers people, unsurprisingly.

20 years ago, I was a SENCo in a school, where there were quite high numbers of children with all kinds of needs. We had a room, staffed by three people, where the students could be referred when the hurly burly of school life got too much. Of course, it’s expensive and is the main reason why this type of provision is so limited now.

I second writing down what you want to say and the meeting and the questions you want to ask.
I second asking the school what they can do to support you and your family.

There are times when a reduced timetable can work well, providing its part of a plan to gradually increase time in school.

There may be a safe place he could go to when things get too much. I provided one of my rooms for this purpose too.

In terms of requesting an EHCP, you do have some evidence. The evidence is that your son is unable to go to school, that you have some short term only support for his mental health, that you are unable to access support from other mental health services and that your son is self harming.

The links to those services might help to point you in a helpful direction, and you need help certainly.

I would suggest you don’t take him out of school at this stage. If you deregister him, it would be difficult to find another school and you would be responsible for providing him with an education- which you have said you don’t feel comfortable doing. See if you can get the school’s help in sourcing a college course, that he could attend part time.

You are in a really difficult situation OP and I hope you feel that the majority of posts are supporting you.

Ignore those that aren’t.

blyn72 · 25/01/2022 16:11

[quote SoTiredNeedHoliday]@Ellowyn sometimes mental health issues can't be 'nipped in the bud' right away..... Teens acting like this is generally because they are scared, anxious or a there a whole not more going on. Its not just bad behavior for the sake of it.
The OP is doing what is right for her son, she's standing up, asking for help and advocating for him. At 14 he can't express himself properly. The poor boy and OP.[/quote]
That's a good post.

My son was depressed at school for some periods of time and from age 14 skived when he could; in the first year of the sixth form, only went in when it suited him and eventually dropped out. I was prepared to try other avenues but he knew what he wanted to do. I was happy for him to drop our, his dad wasn't at the time but later on changed his mind.

There was never any violence, smashing things, etc, he is easy going.

He's now an extremely successful man in early forties with a stellar career and highly regarded.

Everyone is different, what suits one kid does not suit another. However the bad temper and violence would be more of a worry to me than school refusal.

He does need help with that lack of control and the op needs strong support.

LumosSolem · 25/01/2022 16:13

@Ellowyn

How absolutely awful! I can't imagine one of my sons acting like this. My husband and I would have nipped any bad behavior in the bud.

Did it happen overnight? I mean, did he go from being an adoring little boy one day, looking up and trying to please you, to smashing your house up overnight?

Do you think that something really bad happened at school to make him so scared of going?

What gets me is mumsnet remove pretty benign threads/posts at times yet will allow nasty posts like this to remain- on a thread where the majority of posters are trying to help a mum who is clearly trying to do her best. If I say what I think of @Ellowyn then this post will be deleted.

Why do you bother if all you want to do is make someone feel rubbish? Well we know the answer don't we...

Gazelda · 25/01/2022 16:16

@Ellowyn

How absolutely awful! I can't imagine one of my sons acting like this. My husband and I would have nipped any bad behavior in the bud.

Did it happen overnight? I mean, did he go from being an adoring little boy one day, looking up and trying to please you, to smashing your house up overnight?

Do you think that something really bad happened at school to make him so scared of going?

Do you know anything about mental health?
Do you think you're a better parent than OP and many others of us who may have DC struggling with mental health issues?
Do you think your DSs are better than OP's?

I realise you're asking if OP is aware of what might have triggered the behaviour. But I hope you can read your post back and realise how smug, patronising and judgmental it comes across.

NYnewstart · 25/01/2022 16:18

I’d be talking about how he’s been let down by all agencies - school, cahms etc and I’d be throwing the problem back at them.

“I’ve tried everything at home I can to persuade him to attend school. He’s angry and aggressive all stemming from his anxiety” I can’t do this on my own. How are you going to support me with this going forward? At the moment we have a child not getting the support he needs for very obvious mental health issues. What are you going to put in place to support this? At the moment he is being let down as he is not getting the help and support he needs. How are we going to move forward?”

Throw the problem back to them. They need to support you. Don’t get angry or aggressive. Ask for help. Seem cooperative. Admit that you got it wrong in supporting him re the Monday times, but you thought that was the right approach to be supportive rather than oppositional. Say you’ve tried all the strict/supportive approaches and are at a complete loss as how you can move forward. Ask for their help.

With the difficult woman agree that it’s not worked so far and ask her for her help.I’d she feels you are trying to work with her, she might change her attitude a bit. Be grateful for every tiny crumb of help or sympathy she might give. It will hopefully encourage her to give more.

Good luck. You need to get them to realise he isn’t deliberately being awkward and that this is as upsetting and confusing for him as for everyone else. Keep referring to his mental health.

Ellowyn · 25/01/2022 16:18

Glad you found it so easy. Nobhead

These posts drive me insane with the number of self righteous pricks that descend to tell us their children wouldn't have behaved like that

Well guess what... it's not actually your holier than thou opinions they need

Jog on and go join a "aren't my children amazing" thread or something

One thing you need to understand TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo is it is NOT EASY being a good parent. It's the hardest job you have in this world. My oldest son is almost 50 and if you think good men raise themselves then you have a lot to learn. It takes dedication, time and intelligence - not NOB HEADS to raise good men.

So let's get this straight, you think a mother who puts everything she's got, along with her husband, into raising good sons is a NOB HEAD and needs to jog on. You should be asking people like me what we did right, how did we stop or prevent bad behavior, and maybe congratulations, as my sons are now great husbands and fathers themselves now.

NYnewstart · 25/01/2022 16:20

In terms of requesting an EHCP, you do have some evidence. The evidence is that your son is unable to go to school, that you have some short term only support for his mental health, that you are unable to access support from other mental health services and that your son is self harming.

This too

LumosSolem · 25/01/2022 16:23

Keep digging @Ellowyn, you've now suggested that OP clearly isn't putting everything into being a mother- that must obviously be why her son is having problems at the moment, right?!!!

Keep telling yourself that. Keep congratulating yourself on how wonderful you are. Or maybe consider that you were incredibly lucky if you didn't have to face the kind of difficulties that OP has been trying to face- as a single parent no less. And look up empathy whilst you're at it.

megletthesecond · 25/01/2022 16:24

Br grateful you had an easy child Ello.

I have one of each so it know how much bollocks it is when parents claim they're so good, were consistent with boundaries and love and they would never tolerate it from a child. I know two lovely teachers who have other easy kids and one challenging one.

itsgettingweird · 25/01/2022 16:27

@Ellowyn

Glad you found it so easy. Nobhead

These posts drive me insane with the number of self righteous pricks that descend to tell us their children wouldn't have behaved like that

Well guess what... it's not actually your holier than thou opinions they need

Jog on and go join a "aren't my children amazing" thread or something

One thing you need to understand TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo is it is NOT EASY being a good parent. It's the hardest job you have in this world. My oldest son is almost 50 and if you think good men raise themselves then you have a lot to learn. It takes dedication, time and intelligence - not NOB HEADS to raise good men.

So let's get this straight, you think a mother who puts everything she's got, along with her husband, into raising good sons is a NOB HEAD and needs to jog on. You should be asking people like me what we did right, how did we stop or prevent bad behavior, and maybe congratulations, as my sons are now great husbands and fathers themselves now.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

You need Specsavers for your short sightedness not a parenting award.

Everyone that meets my ds comments on how he's the loveliest and nicest and politest child. He'd give you the clothes off his own back.

Didn't stop him having a MH crisis, trying make me crash the car to end it all, trying to end his own life. Not being able to attend a school who were making his MH worse rather than helping.

But you see I'm also a great parent. I put everything into securing him the help he needed and deserved.

Just like the OPs a great parent as she's trying to do the same.

Great parents don't raise great kids into adults. You cannot parent a personality.

Great parents respond to their kids needs without being Jude,metal dicks to other parents. And newsflash - you don't meet this criteria.

Musicalmaestro · 25/01/2022 16:33

Ellowyn

Try to be a wiser person and don't speak about things you know nothing about.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 25/01/2022 16:35

@Ellowyn

Glad you found it so easy. Nobhead

These posts drive me insane with the number of self righteous pricks that descend to tell us their children wouldn't have behaved like that

Well guess what... it's not actually your holier than thou opinions they need

Jog on and go join a "aren't my children amazing" thread or something

One thing you need to understand TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo is it is NOT EASY being a good parent. It's the hardest job you have in this world. My oldest son is almost 50 and if you think good men raise themselves then you have a lot to learn. It takes dedication, time and intelligence - not NOB HEADS to raise good men.

So let's get this straight, you think a mother who puts everything she's got, along with her husband, into raising good sons is a NOB HEAD and needs to jog on. You should be asking people like me what we did right, how did we stop or prevent bad behavior, and maybe congratulations, as my sons are now great husbands and fathers themselves now.

Please take your smug, ignorant views off this thread. I am friends with more than one couple who are amazing parents by anyone's standards, yet one of their children has serious mental heath issues. None of my children have mental health issues but that is as much down to luck as our parenting. I have held sobbing friends on more than one occasion who have parented all children the same, in happy secure environments, yet one or more have issues that cannot be blamed on their upbringing. Appreciate that might be true in some cases. But when a parent cares enough to open a thread like this and ask for advice, the last thing they need is parent-shaming.
SoTiredNeedHoliday · 25/01/2022 16:35

@Ellowyn your comment
My son's could express themselves perfectly well at age 14 - that is not an age thing is it now. Really!
show you have no understanding of the teenage brain development and no understanding of the stress children are under at the moment. I read your eldest is in his 50's so clearly you have not had to deal with the pressures that face todays children.

Perhaps if you didn't start by being so unpleasant by inferring the the OP has managed the situation poorly people might give you the benefit of the doubt.

Or more likely perhaps you are just one of those on here trying to wind people up and upset those already going through awful trauma.

Trilley · 25/01/2022 16:37

So let's get this straight, you think a mother who puts everything she's got, along with her husband, into raising good sons is a NOB HEAD and needs to jog on. You should be asking people like me what we did right, how did we stop or prevent bad behavior, and maybe congratulations, as my sons are now great husbands and fathers themselves now.

No point whatsoever in asking you unless you have experience of having children with mental health and/or learning difficulties such as PDA.

SoTiredNeedHoliday · 25/01/2022 16:37

@itsgettingweird well said. And I am sorry you have been through so much.
You sound like a great parent.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 25/01/2022 16:38

@Ellowyn

Glad you found it so easy. Nobhead

These posts drive me insane with the number of self righteous pricks that descend to tell us their children wouldn't have behaved like that

Well guess what... it's not actually your holier than thou opinions they need

Jog on and go join a "aren't my children amazing" thread or something

One thing you need to understand TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo is it is NOT EASY being a good parent. It's the hardest job you have in this world. My oldest son is almost 50 and if you think good men raise themselves then you have a lot to learn. It takes dedication, time and intelligence - not NOB HEADS to raise good men.

So let's get this straight, you think a mother who puts everything she's got, along with her husband, into raising good sons is a NOB HEAD and needs to jog on. You should be asking people like me what we did right, how did we stop or prevent bad behavior, and maybe congratulations, as my sons are now great husbands and fathers themselves now.

I would respond but I actually don't have words for how offensive and horrible you are being right now.