My daughter doesn't want to go back to school after summer, what should I do?

That's pretty common when August rolls around and kids start thinking about going back to the routine. I'd say try to understand what's really scaring her or getting her down - whether it's something specific like bullying, academic problems, or just anxiety about the transition.

Once you figure out what's worrying her, you can talk to the school or look for professional help if needed, but in general keeping a positive attitude and not making a big deal out of going back helps a lot.

What almost nobody mentions is that sometimes kids say they don't want to go back to school when what's actually happening is they're missing the summer routine with you at home too much - like, it's not fear, it's just that the change in dynamic is hard for them.

Before assuming there's a serious problem, try spending more time with her during those last few weeks of vacation but with schedules more similar to school ones, so it's not such a brutal shock when everything starts up again.

That's tricky! First thing I'd do is sit down and talk to her without putting pressure on her, you know? Like what's actually scaring her or bothering her about school, get it? Sometimes it's something specific like a teacher, friends or anxiety, and if you figure out what it is, it's easier to help her.

It would also help to do something fun during summer that makes her feel more confident, like meeting new classmates or visiting the school together if possible.

And well, if it's serious, I wouldn't hesitate to talk to the school psychologist or look for professional help, because that can really make all the difference, honestly.

What usually works is not to panic or turn this into a battle. My older son went through a phase like that a few years back, and what helped me was just sitting down with him without any pressure, like a normal conversation, to understand what was actually wrong. Sometimes kids say "I don't want to go" but what's really worrying them is something very specific: a classmate they don't like, a teacher, a class change, exams... or sometimes it's just pure fear of losing the comfort of summer and getting back into routine. Once you get that out in the open, everything changes.

Second thing is to try to normalize the situation without downplaying it. If your daughter has real anxiety, validating that is important instead of saying "but that's silly, of course you have to go" 🙃 Sometimes it helps to do something together during August that reconnects her with school in a positive way: visit the school, start preparing something she's excited about (a club, a new subject), even change something about the routine from last year if there's something that clearly wasn't working. My family found that my son did better when we changed the breakfast timing before class - sounds weird but these small details sometimes make a difference 😅

If it's serious serious and you notice there's something deeper going on (a phobia, bullying that nobody's told you about, stress they're not talking about), don't wait. Talk to the school, to a counselor if they have one, even a psychologist. But in mos

Sometimes what works is getting her involved in preparing for the return, like having her choose something new for school (a backpack, supplies, whatever) or doing something special together before it starts.

A lot of kids find it helpful to have something to look forward to instead of just thinking about what scares them, and if you can make her feel like she has some control over the situation, her anxiety drops quite a bit.