Every child will struggle with this at one point or another in their life. Their holidays might just be a reminder that they would rather be doing the more ‘fun’ stuff at home or out with their families.
The following article will explore how children may enjoy their time at school and hence how to build excitement for that environment, school spirit. What do we mean by school spirit? Essentially it refers to a vigour and sense of identity for school.
Have a routine
Having a structured day will help children shift more easily in a fully structured environment such as school (and later in life the workplace). It will also give them a sense of safety in knowing what to expect of their day. This is not to say that routines need to be strict but having certain things in place such as time to do homework, time to play, bath time and bedtime can facilitate many processes. In fact, as children get older, they can learn to anticipate the next task and have a better understanding of time. This will lead children to have more sense of purpose and belonging and so they will soon start to appreciate the school environment.
Teach them that social connections are not only necessary but beautiful
Children will eventually learn how peers are not just there to share lessons with them. They will start forming more complex relationships with one another. Which, as they get older, will pose the right challenges for them to grow. Also, teaching children to value friends and to have honest relationships with them will help them in appreciating their time spent together. Peer relationships are agents of socialization and will thus teach children a lot about themselves as well as society at large. This aspect is important in teaching them to solve problems and communicate their needs.
Encourage them to participate in different activities
Whether it is helping out in the school library, participating in a play or sports days, encouraging children to participate in school activities will further activate their sense of belonging and might also help them find new friends and learn new things.
Get them excited about learning!
Whether it’s learning to navigate social relationships, sharing new games and hobbies or more academic learning. If they have the right attitude and support, they will soon be excited to be taught more about different things.
Show them that it is ok not to excel at everything
Nobody excels at everything. We all have to find things we are most excited about and choose to work more to develop our craft. A child’s job is to do just that. To learn about basic things in life and to see what areas they might be interested to pursue in the future.
And lastly…
Teach them that it’s not about their grades or exams
While as any of their other duties, exams are important; if they learn to value learning and are supported when they fail, they will learn to further appreciate that in school, and in life, it is not about any exam but about bettering themselves (and the world around them).
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Jessica Saliba Thorne is a Gestalt psychotherapist. She has experience within the mental health field and sees adults with mental health difficulties, relationship issues and trauma at Willingness.