When They Are Disengaged

🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟

It’s the end of the school year…and the kids are done, the teachers are done, and the parents are done ❤️. Let it be summer!

It’s so hard when kids are disengaged from school and learning. Sometimes they have difficulty learning, sometimes they have trouble with their teachers, and sometimes they have problems socially. School is the work of childhood and it’s a real challenge when they don’t want to go to “work.” We argue and yell, fear the worst, and catastrophize about their future. Attendance can suffer. Grades can suffer. It can feel like they are languishing (which feels reminiscent of the pandemic). Some kids move to online school, which is an option I’d love to extinguish.

Sometimes it’s the kid. Sometimes it’s the school and teachers. Sometimes it’s the parents. Sometimes it’s all reinforced in the community. It’s often the perfect storm—and a combination of all the factors that lead one to school disengagement.

Ask Yourself:

Was I disengaged from school as a kid? Why or why not?
Did I know someone that was? Did their life turn out ok?
Can someone hate high school and have a great life?
Are the teachers engaged at my child’s school? Are there lots of subs? Are there teachers that care if my kid shows up?
Are there consequences for being disengaged—detentions, suffering grades?
Is there a lot of BS at school (particularly at the end of the school year)? Can you understand the disengagement?
Do my children feel like they matter at school?
Can I remember that today is one day and not catastrophize about the future?
How can I advocate for my child if there are problems within the school system?
How can I help make school more palatable for my kid?
If I can’t, and school will remain a challenge, how can I love them through it?

If you have a child that is engaged, be thankful! If you have a child that is struggling, I’m sending you strength. I’ve worked with so many kids over the years that dreaded school and are great human beings and successful in life. Hang in there.