School reopening What if a child says "I don't want to go?" June 1, 21:22
Many schools have restarted all over Japan from today. However, I think that there are many people who are worried about whether their children can adapt to school life due to the long-term unprecedented nest nesting. There are several causes for a child's loss of mental balance. I asked an expert who is familiar with the mental problems of children how parents should deal with them.
(Network news department reporter Aya Noda, Yuki Takuma)
School reopening Some children feel uneasy
Reopening of school after 3 months in some areas. There are many voices on the Internet complaining about anxiety and stress, such as "a child felt pressure and had a bad dream." According to the NPO "Child Line", which accepts consultations about children's concerns by phone or chat, a total of 730 consultations related to the new coronavirus were received from February 28 to April 30. is. From around May 25, when the declaration of emergency was completely lifted, there were many consultations that raised concerns about the reopening of schools.
The content of the consultation was about academics such as "whether you can keep up with your studies" "whether it will affect your future exams", anxiety about infection such as "is it really okay to go to school", "there is no school event, There are also voices of anxiety such as "Is it going to decentralized school or can I make good friends in a different environment?"
Some causes of imbalance in the mind
What is happening in the hearts of children now? We interviewed Dr. Katsumi Murakami, director of the Japan Society of Pediatric Psychosomatic Medicine, who is familiar with children's mental health problems such as school refusal.
Assuming that no one has any experience of a long vacation like this time and no one knows how the problem will appear, he taught me some causes that can easily lead to imbalance in the mind.
The first is “changes in the rhythm of life”.
During the holidays, you may have to stay up late, wake up late, and so on, disrupting the rhythm of your life and increasing the balance of your autonomic nerves. As a result, you may have trouble waking up in the morning and may experience symptoms of malaise and headache.
The second is "anxiety about the new environment."
The school was closed when it was time to go on to another school or switch to another grade. Many people think that the school has changed before and after the holidays, and the environment such as grades, classrooms, classmates, and homeroom teachers is all new. An environment that you haven't experienced yet and that you often don't understand can easily become mentally burdensome and unstable.
Dr. Murakami:
Generally, it is said that people are quite worried about what they do not understand. In addition, it is my first experience with this new coronavirus infection, and I think there is also anxiety that I do not know what will happen in the future. Will be done. "
The third is "anxiety about the new coronavirus".
Children may feel more uneasy about the virus as much information is being flooded through TV, newspapers, and the Internet.
Dr. Murakami
“It is important to get the right information from the right place, share it with parents and children, and discuss the correspondence.”
How should parents interact
What should parents do when a child feels anxious? Mr. Murakami told me that it is a normal reaction for a child to feel anxious or unstable. First of all, it seems important to rebuild your life.
Dr. Murakami:
"Children are healthier than they think, and in many cases, with the support of their families, they can recover their physical condition. Therefore, be aware of" usually. "Adults do not become too anxious , Parents should adjust their feelings and physical condition to live their daily lives, and try to keep their meal time and sleep rhythm constant in order to balance their children's autonomic nerves. You don't have to get up early. "
Also, if your child says you don't want to go to school or a nursery school, you shouldn't force them to go. Mr. Murakami says that he wants you to deal with the following four points in mind.
(1) Do not force them to go.
(2) Try to recover your physical condition, especially if you are not feeling well.
(3) Discuss with the school and start it for a short time.
(4) Make the rhythm go according to the person's condition.
Dr. Murakami: When a
child says they don't want to go, I think it would be counterproductive for parents to try to force them to go. If they are sick and don't want to go to school, First of all, I think we should give priority to fixing the physical condition.Since children are basically able to recover, it is possible to improve their mood sickness by contacting them as usual and balancing their lives. I think, but if you are unsure, you should feel free to consult your local pediatrician. ''
Also, at this time, even if I could go to school, I was urged not to talk in the classroom to prevent infection and not to leave my seat, feeling lonely or feeling boring in school life. I think that there are times when. In that case, it is also important for parents to support them to communicate differently than usual by providing a place to connect with friends online.
Dr. Murakami:
“You may not allow it in your everyday life by using the internet, connecting with friends through online games, etc., but at this time, it is a means of communication with important friends, so talk with parents and children well I think it is also necessary to utilize it. ''
The website of the National Center for Child Health and Development has a detailed introduction on how to deal with children's anxiety and stress, so I asked him to refer to it.
http://www.ncchd.go.jp/news/2020/20200410.html
* Leave the NHK site.
When you have a problem
The "Child Line" introduced earlier is open for consultation by phone from 4 pm to 9 pm every day except during the year-end and New Year holidays.
The number is 0120-99-7777 toll free.
In addition, on Thursdays and Fridays, you can also use the "Chat" from the "Childline" home page to discuss your concerns.
https://childline.or.jp
* Leave the NHK site.
In addition, there is also a consultation service called the "24-hour child SOS dial," which is run by the educational committees of prefectures and ordinance cities nationwide.
The number is 0120-0-78310 toll free.
If you call this number that is uniform throughout the country, you will be connected to a nearby consultation agency. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can talk without saying your name or school name.
No one has ever experienced a new school life after a long vacation like this one. If you are worried about the appearance of your child, why not just hold it alone and feel free to consult with a person close to you, a consultation desk, or a specialist doctor?