“My nine-year old daughter has started to dread going to school. She always has a head or tummy ache, and ends up missing two or three days a week. When I tell her she has to go, she acts as if she’s truly afraid, and cries and screams. We don’t know what to do.”

You have to be firm with her, and not try to just wait it out. If she misses too much school, she will never go back.

Still, you need to realize that her feelings are real. Showing anger won’t help either of you.

Try to work out if her fear is about going to school (school phobia), leaving you or home (separation anxiety), or going into crowded public places (agoraphobia).

Talk with her teachers. She might be having trouble on the way to school such as bullying, embarrassment, or abused. These things could also be happening once she gets to school. Identify the problems so that you can work with her on them.

Have her pediatrician examine her. Tell him what’s going on so that he can check for serious illness.

If he doesn’t find anything, then believe what he says. Don’t ask for more tests and assume that your child is healthy and should be in school. Be firm with her and at the same time reassure her that you will both be fine when she gets to school. If she still claims to be sick, you can either:

First, get her to school unless you determine that she truly is sick. In that case she would be running a fever, or have nausea and/ or diarrhea, etc. If she just tells you she doesn’t feel well, that isn’t enough to let her stay home. Adults often go to work with uncomfortable symptoms.

The second option is to believe her. Since she says she is too unwell to go to school, then clearly she is too unwell to be up and about the house. If she is sick then she is sick, and so she goes to bed: lights off, curtains closed, no TV, no special snacks. Ignore her and go about your normal daily routine. Make sure that the option of staying home is boring. If she is not sleeping then, ideally she should be doing some school work. Certainly there should be no friends or visitors to entertain her.

You can also establish some rewards for going to school.

Resolve to stick to your guns, but do it calmly. Make it known that you expect her to attend school but don’t fight with her. Your goal is to make her want to go, and soon. As soon as she goes and learns that both of you are doing fine while she is there, then her depression and anxiety should go away.

If none of this works, or if you are concerned about a serious depression or anxiety disorder, seek professional help through your family doctor.

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Tags : add, adhd, child behavior, child behavior problems, Parenting, parenting tips, temper tantrums

A pregnant woman will experience a large number of changes in her body during pregnancy. These changes will occur right at conception and continue until the baby has been delivered. Some of these signs may be minor, while others may be more noticeable, and in some cases, hard to deal with. However, these changes all disappear, once the child has been delivered.

Being a pregnant woman is a very special time in a woman’s life. The changes that occur in her are both physical and mental, and it is helpful for both her and the people around her, to become aware of these changes. In this way, the pregnancy term can be made more comfortable for the woman, and signs that are out of the ordinary can be investigated immediately.

The Initial Signs

A pregnant woman may not realize she is pregnant if she does not recognize the initial signs. This is because; the first signs of pregnancy are often similar to pre-menstrual syndrome, so for those who are not expecting to conceive, it is very probable that they will not know they are pregnant, until much later. The most common sign is, if a woman misses her period. If this occurs, it is advised that the woman wait a few days to see if her period is delayed.

Another sign of pregnancy is implantation bleeding. This occurs 12 days after conception has occurred, when the embryo attaches itself to the uterine walls. A popular telltale sign of pregnancy is the vomiting and feelings of nausea that most pregnant women feels. The vomiting usually occurs in the morning, hence the term morning sickness, but it can occur at any time of day. Physical changes will include increased swelling and tenderness of the breasts.

Side Effects

During her term, a pregnant woman will experience a number of different changes, which can sometimes be overwhelming. However it is important to remember that these changes are temporary and are often brought on by hormonal changes in the body. Identifying them, however, can give the expectant mother a certain piece of mind. For instance, it is perfectly normal for a woman to experience itchiness around her abdomen, as the stomach starts to stretch. The feet will experience swelling and it is not uncommon for a woman’s shoe size to change during pregnancy.

Many women will experience mood swings during their pregnancy, and may have a hankering for certain kinds of foods. Most women develop a nesting instinct and may also develop a feeling of forgetfulness, regarding other affairs. Others may experience feelings of sluggishness. Many women will also experience constipation during their pregnancy, as well as an increased need to pass urine, since the uterus will start to press on the bladder as it expands. With regards to physical appearance, many women will find that their skin has a glow to it- this is due to the fact that her body is experiencing increased blood flow due to the presence of the child. Other women may develop freckles, moles or rashes. All these changes are simply a part of being a healthy pregnant woman.