We all want our children to have an easy and carefree life right? A life where there are no struggles, no pain, and no hardships. We wouldn’t wish difficulties on our worst enemy’s child, yet most of us will experience walking alongside our kid as they go through something difficult. For many children, the first hardship they will experience is that of struggling in school. As parents, knowing what warning signs to look for can decrease the amount of time between identifying the problem and finding the solution. Here are some warning signs to keep a lookout for your child:
- Overall the catch-all warning signs are to look for a change- any sort of significant change can be a sign that something is off.
- They continue to do homework but aren’t receiving grades that reflect that or are taking an extra-long time to complete it.
- Your child is indifferent or has a negative attitude about school.
- Your child is exceedingly sensitive to sensory distractions (i.e. temperature in a room, noise level, tactile frustrations, etc)
- Your child begins to refuse to talk about school, how their day was, or any component involving the school.
- Your child’s sleeping or eating habits change significantly.
Many children will have academic struggles throughout the years, the key is to be proactive in looking and responding to these. Don’t wait for grades to come out, call the teacher or schedule a meeting to discuss progress. Also remember, grades are not the only outcome measurement when it comes to academic success. Keep your eyes on the learning process and keep a lookout for any of these warning signs.
