This is on behalf of my friend, want to come up with something constructive. Her son is 4 in June and going to school in Sept. He's a nice boy but has been a little bit spoilt, and I think she somehow feels permanently sorry for him as he's been a bit poorly in the past (nothing major, but he was quite underweight when he was smaller etc.). They're a farming family and the son adores being on the farm, and she's convinced that he's going to follow his dad into farming (so seems to think he doesn't really need an education but I think she knows she's kidding herself just because he won't go to preschool and she's dreading Sept).
He's supposed to go to preschool 4 days a week, but she can't remember the last time he went that often. He always says he doesn't want to go (and will spend some weekends saying he doesn't want to and getting upset about it). If he gets really upset in the morning she just doesn't take him. He'll go to the creche at the gym so it's not a separation thing. I don't think he hates it when he's there (he used to go to the same nursery as my DD, and if I was there 10 mins after she'd dropped him off he'd be totally fine, but she was convinced he hated it as he would make a massive fuss as she left).
I think what's happening is she's (understandably) worried about him being sad, but can't quite be strong enough to just get over it and take him there. She's really worried about September and is bound to be passing some of that worry on to him so it's going to be self perpetuating and they're going to have a nightmare with school. He'd rather be hanging out on the farm with her and his little sister, and knows if he makes enough fuss she won't make him go.
Does anyone have any constructive ideas? I've tried telling her she just needs to get on with it but she's really struggling. Thanks