Most kids hate school. That's a fact.
If I could get a dollar every time my children say, "I don't want to go to school," I'd comply with their request and take them to Disneyland instead.
Unfortunately, it's children's natural tendency to feel disengaged with school. But, of course, many factors influence this behavior. And if you spot signs of their academic dislike, better address it early before they shut the world out completely.
But what are the causes behind kids' lack of interest in school? We'll uncover the top 10 reasons below!
10 Primary Reasons Why Kids' Hate School
1. They struggle academically
Academic struggle is the most common cause of why children dread school. This may be one thing you can also relate to yourself.
Not everyone is academically inclined. But this doesn't mean they're not smart.
Every child learns differently and uniquely. For example, some may be more confident when taking notes, while others learn best through touch.
The bottom line is that classroom education is simply not every student's cup of tea, causing them to underperform in class.
That's why finding the right teacher, and school is critical. It would be best if you had someone who can adapt the lesson in the manner your child learns best. No wonder many parents seek homeschooling over public education.
2. Information overload
The human brain doesn't ultimately develop until the age of 25. So it's only natural for kids to throw a tantrum when the sheer amount of information exceeds their attention span and mental threshold.
When kids receive an overload of information, it can be vexing to retain every lesson, solution, problem, and nitty-gritty discussed during class.
It gets worse when kids have take-home assignments. Good thing I found out the best tips to help my kids with their homework, so that's a load off my back.
Everyone is unique. Sometimes your child just needs a little rest.
3. Classroom and household pressure
"Even a circus lion learns to sit on a chair in fear of the whip. But you call such a lion 'well-trained' not 'well-educated.'"
All parents expect their kids to bring back good grades whenever they return from school. But, on the contrary, we feel disappointed when they fail a class. Add that to the pressure they feel when they underperform compared to their peers, especially if teachers call them out.
When children fail to make friends or maintain friendships with their contemporaries, social pressures also come into play.
These factors influence why kids don't like being in school.
The best course of action is to support children with their struggles in these moments. A hearing ear and open arms can bridge the gap causing their academic dissatisfaction.
4. Bullying in school
Bullying is one of the children's most common reasons not to go to school. You might've also been in that same position during your time as a student, so it's easy to understand and identify with your child's sentiments.
The manner of bullying doesn't matter. However, verbal, physical, or emotional bullying can result in trauma that renders them disinterested in school.
Watch out for signs of bullying. Here are some:
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There are unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches that children typically hide, makeup stories about, and refuse to explain.
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Damaged personal belongings like shirt fabric, books, pens
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More prominent reluctance to go to school (i.e., tantrums)
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Making up medical health concerns to intentionally miss class
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Loss of appetite and sleep
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Moody disposition whenever they arrive from school
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An apparent decline in school performance
A healthy parent-child relationship and open communication are imperative so your child can be confident in sharing their concerns with you. For example, you may opt to take them out for ice cream and ask how they're holding up.
5. Absence of the pleasurable rush
The brain has a natural reward system that produces satisfaction chemicals when we feel accomplished. For instance, notice how rewarding it feels when you complete a crossword puzzle?
Kids have that same pleasurable rush. The lack thereof is one probable reason why kids don't like school.
The absence of this pleasure may be caused by one of two things:
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An extremely challenging learning expectation, beyond their understanding
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Subjects in class are too easy
If they feel either of the two, then most likely it's the reason why kids don't like school. It simply isn't rewarding enough to bear.
You can challenge their intellect by presenting extra problems to do at home. But make sure to communicate with them the essence of being in school so they'd feel more responsible about showing up.
6. Homework
If you've spent 8 hours listening to lessons in class, it's only natural to feel worked up, especially if you have extra school workloads to bring back home.
Kids suffer from the same predicament. After all, it would be far more satisfying to play with their video games than answer boring problems.
A homework system is a helpful workaround for this problem. Some children thrive in structure and giving them a dedicated after-school schedule can help alleviate the pains of doing homework.
Check our ultimate guide in helping kids with their homework to learn more!
7. Unhealthy social interactions
Establishing and maintaining friendships is a common struggle among kids, mainly because their moods fluctuate drastically.
These sorts of challenges may lead to loneliness in some cases; that's why acquiring confidence is essential so kids can freely communicate with their friends without hesitation.
Sometimes, a child may also disdain teachers or instructors in class. But this can often transform from a simple fleeting emotion to a permanent one, causing kids to act defiantly.
You may chat with your child to see the root cause. Then, notify their teachers of your child's personality to get insight into approaching the appropriate teaching style for their case.
8. Lack of interest in subjects discussed
The thing about schools is that there is a mandatory set of lessons discussed in class. However, limited subjects are offered, and sometimes children might not resonate with them. As a result, they might end up studying for lessons they don't even like.
Naturally, forcing kids to learn uninteresting subjects fuels the fire on why kids don't like school.
In addition, some subjects may be too complex for their liking. Because of this, a child may fail to secure a high remark leading to even more household pressure (see #3).
9. Failure to achieve specific goals
School is not for everyone. Those kids are bright in their own rights, just not with school requirements and lessons.
No matter how much kids try, their efforts might not be enough to achieve their goals and meet your expectations. Unfortunately, this often leads to lost motivation for school.
To overcome this, try not to negatively comment on your child's performance. Instead, opt to communicate with love and encourage them to pursue subjects they excel at while attempting to perform adequately in others.
For instance, if your child loves the sciences, here are parenting tips to support their love for science.
10. The learning method does not suit them
Uniqueness is the primordial truth of life. This extends to each student's preferred learning method.
Some kids may find public education more engaging because of the relationships they build in school, along with the academic challenge of having classmates.
On the other hand, homeschooling might be ideal for other students because they thrive best when their only competition is themselves. Especially now, homeschooling is more relevant today in this time of the pandemic.
While a certain few parents desire a child-led approach for learning called unschooling in raising their kids. In the belief that kids learn best when they choose what they wish to learn. Or some parents may opt for an independent learning approach.
In any case, if your child experiences some of the reasons listed above, they might exhibit some signs of school stress that you must look out for.
Common Signs of School Stress
Headaches or stomachaches
Feeling butterflies in their stomach may be natural for students who feel anxious about going to class. But, unfortunately, worrying about school often translates to the body; that's why kids suffer from such problems.
Sleeping troubles
Knowing they have to go to school the morning after may lead to a lack of sleep. Commonly, this is the product of mental tension due to school stress.
As a result, kids feel grumpy the morning after and tired throughout the day. This can add fuel to the already burning flames of school stress.
Indecisiveness
When kids are stressed in school, they often have so many thoughts revolving in their minds that they find it difficult to focus. This may be apparent when kids struggle in as simple as finding clothes to wear or what food they prefer for lunch.
This often leads to mishaps in their schedule, like missing the bus or forgetting to bring their homework to school.
A key ingredient to support kids' hunger for learning
If your kids don't like school, we can't undermine the reality of academic struggles being the primary culprit behind their disinterest.
Curiosity is the single most critical ingredient your child needs to rekindle their love for learning. Once they start wondering about thought-provoking realities, they'll begin to seek answers.
The best tools to kickstart their scientific inquiry are STEM toys (science, technology, engineering, and math). If you want to get them one, the STEMscope portable kids' microscope is a splendid device, to begin with!
It's lightweight, durable, and feature-packed, perfect to accompany your child as they discover the world around them.
If you want to learn more, kindly check the STEMscope kids' microscope or read our product reviews, and visit our complete toy catalog here!