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Why kids hate school, Part 2: It's boring, exhausting and stressful

You watch your child trudge home from school, backpack sagging with the weight of textbooks and binders. Their eyes, once bright with curiosity, now look dull and tired. You ask how their day was, and the answer is the same as always: "It was fine." But you know it wasn’t fine. You see the exhaustion etched on their face and wonder why school seems to drain the life out of them.

It’s not your fault. It’s not their fault either. The system is broken, and it's breaking our kids.

School is boring. Day after day, our kids are fed a monotonous diet of lectures, worksheets, and standardized tests. Their natural curiosity is stifled by a rigid curriculum that leaves no room for exploration or creativity. The subjects they are forced to study often seem irrelevant to their lives, and the way they are taught makes even the most interesting topics feel dull. Imagine spending hours in a room where your mind is constantly wandering, where you are told to sit still and be quiet when all you want to do is ask questions and learn in a way that makes sense to you. That’s the reality for many kids.

School is exhausting. The early mornings, long hours, and heavy workload leave our kids physically and mentally drained. By the time they get home, they have little energy left for anything else. Homework piles up, and weekends become a time to catch up on sleep rather than a chance to relax and enjoy life. This relentless schedule takes a toll on their well-being. They’re tired, and they’re struggling to keep up with the demands placed on them.

School is stressful. The pressure to perform, to get good grades, and to meet expectations is overwhelming. Our kids are constantly being tested and evaluated, and the fear of failure looms large. They worry about their future, about whether they’re good enough, and about how they measure up to their peers. This stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness. They’re living in a state of perpetual tension, always on edge, always worried about what’s coming next.

You might feel helpless, watching your child suffer in a system that seems indifferent to their needs. You might feel guilty, thinking that you should be able to fix this, to make it better somehow. But it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in this struggle. There are other parents, other kids, who are feeling the same way. There are alternatives to the traditional school system, ways to learn that are more engaging, more flexible, and more supportive of your child’s unique needs.

Take a deep breath. Reach out to other parents, to educators who understand, to communities that support alternative education. Explore options like homeschooling, unschooling, democratic schools, or online learning. It’s okay to question the status quo, to seek something better for your child.

Your child’s well-being matters more than any grade or test score. Their happiness, their curiosity, their mental health—these are the things that truly count. It’s a tough journey, but you have the strength and the love to guide them through it. Together, you can find a path that lights up their spirit and rekindles their joy in learning.

Posted in: For Parents on June 17, 2024 @ 5:45 AM

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