What is my son scared of? My six-year-old is usually reluctant to attend school. He doesnt tell me why. He looks scared at times when I ask him why he doesnt want to go. I fear his teachers are being too harsh on him. What do I do?

Such behaviour could be related to classroom problems with teachers, students, bullies, or van drivers. The issue could be small, but to your child, it is big. If you take the trouble to find out whats worrying him, it may not be too difficult to help.

To find the answer to ‘What is my son scared of?’, try to figure out whats happening by discussing different activities that happen in school, including lunch time, the trip in the school van, and classes. Watch his reactions carefully.

If you find him disturbed on certain days, check the class timetable to see if there is a particular class/activity which may be problematic. Talk to his friends in his absence, and find out if any teacher has been scolding or punishing him. Children sometimes prefer not to share this with parents.

Meet the class teacher and alert her about the situation. She can keep an eye open for trouble from other classmates, or curb her own behaviour, if she has been harsh.

Get your child to open up

Children sometimes refuse to talk about their problems, which makes it hard to help them. Here are some ways to get them to confide in you.

Talk about your school experiences, including some negative ones, and ask her if she has had one or more similar experiences.

Discuss school problems with siblings/friends, without directly asking your child about them.

Give your child the feeling that everyone faces similar problems.

Also read: Help your child make friends easily