My Grandson Refuses to Go to School

“I have a 13YR. old grandson living with me. I am struggling with getting him to school. There doesn’t seem to be an issues at school like bullying, at bedtime he says he is going but the next morning he won’t get up to go. He goes to bed at a good time but doesn’t always sleep well. There have been trauma issues but overall, it seems that he is doing good. There is something I recently came across called Failure to Launch. This seems to describe part of his behavior.” 

I am sorry to hear you and your grandson are going through this.  

First of all, I would recommend that you have a chat with him (maybe you have already done this) to try to understand what is going on. Is he struggling with schoolwork?; Is he OK with his friends?; Does he feel safe at school?; Why is he not sleeping well?…  

I would also talk to his teachers to get a better understanding of what is going on. Does he look happy at school?; Does he have friends?; Is he doing well academically?; Is he paying attention in class?; Is he doing his homework? 

Together with the school, you should devise a support plan for your grandson. For this plan to work, you may need to include an educational psychologist, a school counsellor or other health professionals that the school and you consider relevant.  

Remember that to take care of your grandson you need to take care of yourself as well. If you want some 1:1 support, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. We are here to help you.  

Finally, you may find useful this article written by Lorraine Quinlan, one of our REC Parenting therapists.  

I hope this helps. 

Love,  

Ana 

Dr Ana Aznar