No parent wants to hear that their child is struggling at school.
Yet it's always better to find out about any issues early on so you can work with your child to solve them.
Keep reading to find out how.
Talk to them to work out what the problem is
There are so many different things that a child can struggle with at school from academic performance, to sports, to making friends.
Some kids even have to deal with bullying from other children!
That is why it's important that before you do anything else you sit down with them and talk about what the problem is.
This can be a tough conversation especially if they are shy, or embarrassed about the difficulties they are facing.
The important thing here is to remember to listen and offer empathy, no matter what your first reaction might be.
This is because your child needs to feel that you understand them and that you are on their side, so don’t work on solutions at this stage just be sure that you actively listen to ascertain what the specific problem they are dealing with is.
Speak to their teacher if they are OK with that
Once you have spoken to your child, you may wish to speak to their teacher.
I think the best way to go about this is to get your child’s permission to do this first.
Of course, there are some situations in which you will need to intervene right away especially if their safety is at risk.
Yet for others such as academic performance getting your child’s permission can help them to feel like they are more in control of the situation and more involved in the solution rather than just being dictated to by grown-ups.
Discuss the help they would like
Next, it's a good idea to discuss with your child what a resolution to this problem would look like and what help they would like to activate.
For instance, if they are struggling to make friends, enrolling them in some out-of-school groups could help, as can asking the school to assign a student mentor.
If your child is struggling with their performance in English class then they might want to work with a GCSE English tutor and focus on their weakest areas.
Alternatively, you could see if their school covers after-school revision sessions or has any specific recommendations you could follow.
Again by doing this, you may be sure that you keep them involved and engaged in the solution process, which means they are much more likely to work with you and succeed.
Check in with them regularly
Last of all, when your child is experiencing an issue in school it's important that you check in with them regularly, not only about the specific issue, but about how they feel about it, and the solution that is in place.
This not only helps them realise that you care but will allow you to evaluate how effective the solution is and make changes if necessary.
More school tips:
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