Children cry, parents struggle when their children come to class
Moving from a familiar family space to a classroom environment is a big change for children. Children must get acquainted with teachers, friends, living space and a new schedule.
For some children, this change is expressed by crying, clinging, or a psychology of not wanting to go to school.
Ms. Le Thi Hai Lan (Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) said that taking her child to school is not an easy time. Every morning when preparing to go to school, her child shows anxiety, even cries and tries to delay going to class.
He just hugged his mother tightly, saying he didn't want to go to school. At home he was still happy, but as soon as he got close to the school gate, he started crying, clinging to his mother and refusing to let go. I had to coax him for a long time, saying that the teacher and friends were waiting, he finally agreed to go to class," Ms. Lan shared.
What confused Ms. Lan was not knowing whether to comfort her, stay with her child longer or quickly leave so that the child could get acquainted with the teacher. The child's crying makes parents feel sorry for the child, but if the breakup time is prolonged every day, she is worried that the child will find it even more difficult to adapt.
Another case is the family of Mr. Dinh Dai (Hanoi), whose child is getting used to the learning environment. He said that every time he comes to class, his child often cries, clings to his parents and does not want to leave the school gate.
At home, I told my child that when he goes to school, there will be a teacher and friends to play with. But when he comes to school, he still cries and refuses to go to class. I love him very much but also understand that if I stay for too long or let him drop out of school, it will be even harder for him to get used to," Mr. Dai said.
Children not adapting to new environments is not an abnormal sign
According to psychologist Hoang Anh - Voice of Therapist Office, children crying, clinging to parents or not wanting to go to class when going to school may stem from a psychology of not being used to the new environment.
Some children cry for 2-3 days, but after their parents leave, they quickly calm down, can play, eat, sleep and interact with the teacher. If the crying mainly appears at the time of parting and tends to gradually decrease, this is often a manifestation in the process of children getting used to a new environment," psychologist Hoang Anh analyzed.
Conversely, if children have been going to school for a while but the level of anxiety does not decrease but increases, parents should start to pay attention. Especially, when this psychology is accompanied by obvious changes in daily life such as poor eating and sleeping, or children constantly do not want to participate in school activities.
If the child is still prolongedly anxious, shows no signs of gradually decreasing, or even signs of becoming stronger, parents should talk to the teacher to monitor together. When necessary, the family can seek professional support," the psychologist said.
According to psychologists, parents should regularly talk to teachers to know if children are calm after their parents leave, whether they participate in activities and interact with friends and teachers. This information helps parents assess children's adaptability more closely.
Sometimes parents only see the moment the child cries at the classroom door, so they are very worried. But if the child quickly stabilizes and lives normally afterwards, the story is different. Therefore, families and teachers need to exchange with each other to have a more complete assessment of the child," psychologist Hoang Anh said.
