Why is behaviour so hard to manage in schools? Could single child syndrome be a possible cause? Homeschooling to help?

[Paperbear]

It occurred to me today that in school today there are so many only children. In a particular class I was thinking about - almost every single one of the boys are only children. It made me wonder whether this might connect to some of the challenges schools are facing today.

After all, a classroom made up mostly of only children is very different from the classrooms our grandparents experienced, when families were larger and siblings provided natural social and learning dynamics.

Perhaps this is one reason homeschooling can offer a more natural learning curve allowing lessons to move at a child’s own pace, providing one-on-one attention, and creating opportunities for learning that feel integrated with real life, much like the learning that once happened among siblings.

This is a new sort of attack on only children. Thought I'd heard it all.

I know some very good parents, I also met some awful parents of my parents´generation and awful ones of my grandparents generation. There was a lot of whipping out the belt, and the famous clip round the ear. Each was very useful in silencing dissent.

What if someone posted women with more than 3 children should homeschool their kids and not allow them to come into school? Honestly, it's an adult discussion we should be all having because this is the new reality we live in. We are not the same as the last generation, we are different. Completely. So lets figure it out altogether so we can all have better schooling. What we have now isn't working and parents are taking their children out of school.

Why haven’t you moved your child to a different school then?

That is true! The belt is no longer here so I guess kids don't fear parents in the same way.

@Paperbear but why are you blaming only children. That is not having an adult discussion

What’s your evidence for this?

It's an observation for discussion. Out of curiosity not anger.

Mind your own business and take your judgey opinions somewhere else.

I bought it up because I hadn't heard it anywhere else before, ever. And I'm seeing lots of people be utterly confused with what is happening in schools, like really dismayed. I asked myself what is different between our generation and the last couple of generations and this came up. It wasn't an angry thought, it was out of genuine curiosity....the fact families look so different today and that I have just heard we are heading towards 50% of families with only children. I had no idea.

The discussion is around family dynamics and schooling. If there is any connection.

I don’t buy you are being genuine.

So why do you think only children are the cause. Studies show only child syndrome doesn’t exist, most onlies do as well if not better than their peers with siblings. Things like empathy, sharing will be learned either via their parents or friendship groups or hobbies like scouting. Why are onlies the problem?

Parents not parenting is the main cause of poor behaviour from kids.
Then society generally having a lack of respect for authority.

You can’t make a disingenuous, goady, faux-naive post blaming poor behaviour in schools on only children and not expect people to get upset. What did you think the reaction would be? You also aren’t engaging with the posts pointing out that there is zero evidence only children are worse behaved/more socially awkward than those with siblings. Anyone would think you were trolling for reactions.

Perhaps gentle parenting, lack of discipline and excuses for poor behaviour play a bigger part in classroom chaos than only children

The problem is with schools themselves, all being like Professor fucking Umbridge's academy and trying to crush children and teenagers instead of being kind and tolerant. They need to come into the 21st century, fast.

You had no idea because you are AI and you’ve yet to learn that plenty of children are now parented by screens and influencers and have lost respect for teachers and the incredible opportunity they have to be educated. Good luck with your own learning journey as you’re an only child too, unless AI can have siblings- are we there yet?

Its poor parenting. Nothing to do with only children.

Your OP hypothesised that a particular family dynamic (single child families) might be responsible for poor school behaviour.

Don’t try disingenuously to make it wider, now you presumably see how ignorant that original hypothesis was.

That’s an easy one - take your children to the park/beach/forrest. - whichever is convenient. Let’s them run around. Additionally enrol them in the local football team. Go to a ParkRun - ideal for the whole family.

China had a one child policy for years and years.

their schools are filled with only children. It’s not a country known for bad behaviour at school.

i went on a two week teacher exchange to Shanghai. It’s a totally different culture and the parents put so much more effort into their kids but they are only allowed one (in general, there were exceptions to the one child policy).

The issues in schools are not about only children.

Seconded

I’m a teacher and I’m just thinking back to my most challenging pupils over the years and out of 8 I can recall, only one was an only child.

Well, as a teacher who left the classroom due to very poor and violent behaviour from twin boys (and others who happen to have siblings), and a mum to an only daughter who has never put a foot wrong and gets glowing feedback at parents evening for her manners and behaviour, this thread has hit a nerve.