Hi,
I’m here looking for some advice or some help with my 5 year old son. He started reception in September and had no problems at all, absolutely loved going to school and has made lots of friends. The teachers are very pleased with his progress in all areas. Out of nowhere the week before Easter break he started refusing to go to school. DH and I ended up having to physically carry him in one day with him kicking and screaming and clinging to us.
We’ve come to the end of our Easter break now and he starts school again on Monday. He’s already getting worked up about it. Whenever we mention it he’s getting upset and saying he misses me too much when he’s there and it makes him very sad etc. I know that starting from Monday this is going to be an absolute nightmare.
We’ve talked quite a bit about why he doesn’t want to go to school. He says there isn’t any problems with teasing, he likes his teachers etc. He has just said he really misses me, and that he doesn’t like phonics and assembly because he has to sit too still and it makes him very sad and grumpy. He was sick during phonics a few weeks ago and he said afterwards that it was giving him a headache so he was sick.
A bit more background info:
He’s always been a trickier child. As a baby he was very intense, wouldn’t be put down. He walked at 9 months and was talking full sentences by his second birthday.
He’s also always had hugeeee meltdowns. These are not tantrums. When he kicks off it’s as if he can’t hear what we’re saying to him. He doesn’t want to be touched or talked too, it’s like he’s shutting down.
He’s very emotional. Big swings in mood and seems to feel things very deeply compared to other children.
He finds it very hard to sit still sometime, doing lots of jiggling and squirming on his chair at mealtimes. He likes to climb. But on the other hand he can sit and concentrate on things that he likes, such as crafting or imaginative play or a tv programme.
We don’t think he is autistic. He makes friends very easily and is extremely sociable. He’s very empathetic and loves imaginative play. He can spend hours doing this with his brother.
We don’t have screens in the house apart from a bit of tv after school or on a weekend morning. He gets plenty of exercise, he does sport after school two nights and cycling at the weekend as a family. Healthy diet, very little UPF and he doesn’t have any food aversions.
Sorry for such a long post!! I’m just so exhausted from the emotional turmoil he experiences and the school refusal. I’m bracing myself for Monday, and would love any advice anyone has to offer.
Any thoughts/ideas?