“My child lacks motivation in everything. She attends music, sports, and even extra English classes. But all she wanna do is fiddle around. September is coming soon, but she doesn’t wanna go to school at all.” How often do you hear something like that from other parents you know? Maybe these lines are all about your schoolboy, right? Unfortunately, quarrels or “more exciting” classes won’t fix the problem, since demotivation like that is a sign of burnout syndrome in your child.
What is burnout syndrome in schoolchildren?
Everyone has heard of work-life balance in adults. And what about study-life balance in schoolchildren? Children have got to make a lot of effort to be good at everything: school, numerous home assignments, extracurricular activities, and various classes. They are under constant pressure and simply have no time to relax. As a result, children develop burnout syndrome.
How to find out that children suffer from burnout syndrome?
Your child being constantly tired is the earliest sign. After coming home, he/she complains that he/she gets bored at school. After that, you can notice the following changes in his/her behavior:
- Increased irritability and nervousness
- Altered sleep/wake patterns
- Worse academic performance (often due to inattention and reduced concentration)
- Feeling demotivated about favorite activities, e.g., extra classes
- Regressive behaviors
- Your child refuses to go to school, which is especially noticeable in preschoolers who felt interested and had fun during the first months.
Most often, burnout develops in children with busy study schedules. Of course, your intentions regarding your child’s development may be nice and good. But you must help your child keep his/her study-life balance in order.
What can I do about it today?
The easiest yet most difficult thing is to listen to your child. It’s easy because we naturally listen to others every day. And it’s difficult because you’ll have to discard all your expectations and predictions. And you have to realize one thing: what your son or daughter is going through right now is super different from what you went through as a child. You’d better never compare yourself to your child.
Also, make sure your child enjoys more entertainment and recreation:
- Find time for decent interaction and communication with your child. For example, you can visit a children’s cafe as a family.
- Play games as a family. This way, you can teach the children games you used to play in childhood.
- If your child stays up late, let him/her rest after the night activity. Health is a top priority.
- Let your child make a choice according to his/her age. This way, you can help him/her reduce stress.
We know you only want the best for your child. But sometimes you need to slow down a little. And when you do, keep in mind that your child needs your attention and understanding, first and foremost.
