Patient's question:
Hello, I would like to consult about a psychological issue with my child. He 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 check-up, and the doctor said he had poor digestion but no other problems. 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, he didn’t show any physical discomfort). We’ve also talked to him, and he said no one was bullying him; he just mentioned that the teacher had scolded him for misbehaving, as well as other children who didn’t follow the rules. The child also said that he wasn’t allowed to urinate in bed while sleeping, and that his meals, classes, drinking water, and sleeping times were all regulated, making things less flexible than before. We’ve also spoken to the teacher, and the teacher’s account was mostly 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 him an easy way out at home by suggesting he stay if he doesn't want to go. Trust in your child's ability to adapt. If he's not adjusting well now, it might be due to a significant difference in the care he's used to receiving.