Often, when a child is attending school in a public forum, they need days off from time to time, just as adults occasionally need days off from work just to recover. These days off are typically called “mental health days”. But are homeschoolers in need of these, as well?
I think we can all agree that just because a child doesn’t want to do something doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have to do it. However, when your little one is feeling lousy about studying and really, really doesn’t want to do school, do you think about letting them just have one day off?
When kids feel that things have gotten too stressful for them (and yes, this can occur even in homeschooling), they will often complain of being ill, having a headache or a stomachache. Sometimes the ailment is real, brought on by anxiety, other times it is made up just to get them a break.
While I am not yet at the point where this is an issue for me, I recall days as a child when I just didn’t want to get up and would pretend to be ill. My mother’s solution? She happily let me lie on the couch, feigning illness, but when my sisters were finished working and headed out to ride bikes in the sunshine or play in the fresh snow, and I wanted to get up and play, too, she had me do my schoolwork first . . . you have never seen a child work so fast!
What do you do when your child wants a mental health day?
Tags: day off, homeschool, mental health, school