The benefits of a day off
In some cases, the solution to your child ‘hating’ preschool might be solved with a simple day off. Also called a “mental health day”, the concept isn’t something new, and is known to give students a little break from school that can help them to recharge. The idea is now becoming more widely accepted – so much so that in the USA, the state of Utah actually passed a bill that allows students to take a mental health day as an excused absence from school in 2018, and Oregon followed suit in 2019 with a similar law.
For preschoolers, a day off now and then can also be a welcome change from their everyday school routine.
It’s important to ensure that they know that it’s not an everyday thing though, and to make the most of the day by helping them build skills they can use further down the line. This can be done by using the day to practise self care, such as by starting healthier habits (like getting more sleep or improving eating habits), or by playing games to work through an issue. You could also schedule a meeting with the teacher in order to explore the issue further.
Hearing that your child hates preschool is often upsetting, but it’s important to find out why they feel this way. In doing so, you can then decide how to best handle the issue – whether it be by having an impromptu day off, or deciding to talk with the school in order to find the appropriate solution.
Kylee Harris is an educator who has taught in elementary schools in Singapore and Hong Kong for 5 years. She lives in Florida and continues to teach life skills to young adults in her community.
