By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director and Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Posted in: Multimedia, Parenting Concerns, Podcast

Topics: Behavioral Issues

Does your child get stomachaches at the thought of going to school? Does your younger child throw temper tantrums? Does your teenager spend all day in the school counselor’s office, or even refuse to leave the house? When kids struggle to go to school, it can be a challenging situation. And nearly two years into the pandemic, child psychiatrists Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins are hearing more concerns about this kind of behavior from the kids and parents they work with.

Tune in here, or wherever you get your podcasts – just search for ‘Shrinking It Down’!

Today, Gene and Khadijah talk through what school refusal is, how to recognize signs of it in your child, and how to help. School refusal is very treatable. But identifying the root cause and responding quickly is key. Tune in for more!

Plus, Gene shares the Clay Center’s 2022 word of the year…

We hope that our conversation will help you to have yours. Have a question or comment? Write to us!

Media List
Follow along with the conversation.

• School Refusal: When Back-to-School Is a Struggle (MGH Clay Center)
• Our Word of the Year (Instagram – MGH Clay Center)
• Building Mental Wellness in Children: What Parents Can Do (MGH Clay Center)

• What to Know About School Refusal to Support Your Child (Project TEACH)
• What to say when your child doesn’t want to go to school (Understood.org)
• What If My Child Has an Anxiety Disorder? (MGH Clay Center)
• Helping Kids Through New School Transitions (MGH Clay Center)
• How to Help Young People Cope With Grief and Loss During COVID-19 (MGH Clay Center)
• Learning + Attention Issues, Topic Page (MGH Clay Center)
• The Impact of Divorce (MGH Clay Center)
• Conversation Starters (YouTube – MGH Clay Center)
• Creating Meaningful Conversation (The Family Dinner Project)
• Your Child’s Mental Health: What to Discuss During a Doctor Visit (Project TEACH)

 

Music by Gene Beresin

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan