My 15 year old son refused to go to school

[Nataliab]

What can we do eg courses or home schooling

[Courtney-RO]

Hi @Nataliab and welcome to the online community!

I'm sorry to hear that your son has been refusing to go to school, that sounds like it must be so stressful and overwhelming for you. Have you been able to talk to your son about this at all and find out why he might not want to go back to school?

If you are interested in having a bit of a read, The Raising Children's Network has some great information regarding School Refusal and things you can do. I wonder if maybe this might be able to give you more of an idea of where to go next.

As this is such a hard situation to manage on your own, I was just wondering what supports you have around you? Is there someone you feel comfortable talking to about all of this? I also just want to remind you that your important too, so don't forget to take care of yourself during all of this.

We're all here for you.

[KIrstyH]

I can’t offer any advice but I am dealing with the same issue with my 15 year old son which is why I came to this site. My son goes but it’s a battle every single day and when he’s at school he doesn’t attend classes much and prefers to sit down near the deputy and do his work but the school can’t sustain that

[Taylor-RO]

Hey @KIrstyH

Thank you for sharing. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation and it can be hard to know what to do next, especially when you have already tried so many things. It can also be frustrating and upsetting when your teen does not want to attend class or complete their work. Has the school made any suggestions? Do you have any supports at the moment?

[Nataliab]

I spoke with my son I no previously he suffered a lot of bullying at school which when I would go speak to the school they wouldn’t do much so I haven’t bothered going back to speak with the school again over this

[KIrstyH]

My son is linked in with the child you mental health team but he first engage in counselling. He doesn’t see the point of it and they find him difficult to engage in therapy as he doesn’t like talking. His school counsellor also said he has the same issue and he isnt good for talk therapy.

We are looking at another school which he found himself which is a fantastic school that focuses on their interests and goals/careers goals and set the curriculum around that but there’s no guarantee he will get it in as it’s a private school.

He did an interview over zoom and because he isn’t a big communicator they said he didn’t seem enthusiastic but they are giving him another opportunity with a face to face interview.

He would absolutely thrive there I’m sure but he needs to sell himself during the interview

[MAYC-RO]

Hi @KIrstyH 

It's great that he was able to find a school he likes and was able to get another interview.

Are you able to do some interview practice with him to help him prepare?

If he recalls any of the previous questions they asked him, that may be a good starting point to help him expand on his thoughts and what he would like to say.

I'm not sure if this applies to him, but here is an article about how to stop being nervous, which may also help him to feel prepared for the interview  Best of luck and keep us posted as to how it goes!

[KIrstyH]

Thank you for the article. I will have a look through this and discuss with him and practice what he can say

He has made a power point to highlight why he would like to go to that school. He was thinking outside the box so may show some initiative, fingers crossed

[travisstorm]

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@Courtney-RO wrote:

Hi @Nataliab and welcome to the online community!

I'm sorry to hear that your son has been refusing to go to school, that sounds like it must be so stressful and overwhelming for you. Have you been able to talk to your son about this at all and find out why he might not want to go back to school?

If you are interested in having a bit of a read, The Raising Children's Network has some great information regarding School Refusal and things you can do. I wonder if maybe this might be able to give you more of an idea of where to go next.

As this is such a hard situation to manage on your own, I was just wondering what supports you have around you? Is there someone you feel comfortable talking to about all of this? I also just want to remind you that your important too, so don't forget to take care of yourself during all of this.

We're all here for you.

---

yes it is quite interesting and supportive on your behalf

[Taylor-RO]

Hi @KIrstyH,

Thank you for sharing. It is so great that you are planning to practice with him! Making a powerpoint definitely shows enthusiasm, initiative and excitement. We really hope that he gets into that school, it sounds like it is a good fit for him. Please feel welcome to let us know how you go.