Eps 526: School avoidance and school refusal with Jenell Kheriaty

Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

My guest today is Jenell Kheriaty, and we’re talking about school avoidance & school refusal. We discuss what school refusal is and if there’s certain “types” of kids who are predisposed to school avoidance or school refusal. Both Jenell and I share how we support families who are struggling with their teens not going to school, some specific questions you can ask your teen about school, and how and why parents need to stay curious about their teen’s school experience.,

We talk about how to handle our own feelings when changes are not happening as fast as we want. We get into figuring out if your child’s school is a good fit, finding alternative options to your neighborhood high school, and checking our own assumptions about our teen’s journey in school.

Takeaways from the show

• School refusal is typically not a case of defiance, it’s an act of protection
• All kids, even successful high-achievers, can struggle with school avoidance
• School refusal is a symptom of something else going on
• “Be curious, not judgmental”
• When our timeline doesn’t line up with their timeline
• When your teen has a different temperament and stress tolerance than you do
• Alternative schooling options
• Trusting the process, trusting the journey
• Maintaining relationship during the bumpy times

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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