Patient's question:
Hello, I would like to inquire about some psychological issues in children. My son is now 5 years old and has just started in the senior kindergarten class. Due to the summer vacation, he was a bit unhappy in the first few days, but he quickly adapted and has been going to school happily every day. However, last week, he said he had a stomachache and we picked him up from school early. After taking a nap at home, his stomachache went away, and he said he wanted to go back to kindergarten. But starting from the next morning, he again complained of a stomachache and began to refuse to go to kindergarten. After sending him for another 1-2 days, when he entered the classroom, he lingered and told the teacher he felt unwell and wanted to be picked up early. We also took him for a physical examination, and the doctor said his digestion was poor but there were no other issues. To reassure him, we let him rest at home for half a week and comforted him every day. But this week, when he started going back to school, he cried and refused to go every morning, and whenever we mentioned kindergarten, he said he felt unwell. (When we took him out to play, we didn’t notice any physical discomfort). We’ve also talked to him, and he said no one was bullying him—only that the teacher scolded him for misbehaving, as well as other children who didn’t follow the rules. The child also mentioned that he wasn’t allowed to urinate while sleeping, and that meals, classes, drinking water, and sleeping were all regulated, making things less free than before. We’ve also spoken to the teacher, and her account was consistent with what the child said. However, now he shows strong resistance to kindergarten, which is causing us great concern.Doctor's answer:
This is a common behavior among children who have just started kindergarten. It's important to emphasize the positive aspects of going to kindergarten and downplay the negative ones. Additionally, don't give your child an easy way out of going to kindergarten at home. Trust in your child's ability to adapt. If they are not adjusting well now, it might be due to a significant difference in the care they have received previously. We know that children's psychology is greatly influenced by their environment, and if this issue is not addressed promptly or if the wrong methods are used, it can progress rapidly and cause harm to the child. Therefore, parents should pay close attention to their child's situation and seek timely treatment.