With so many children not only missing out on the educational aspect of school but also the social aspect, parents are worried what long-term effect this may have. School is a place for learning and although most of the learning is academic, it also plays a big role in social development too. Children who go to school learn how to share and interact with each other. They learn about how to deal with problems and what makes a good friend.

Many children struggle with friendships at school from quite an early age. It may be the first time a child has spent a lot of time with other children if they haven’t been to nursery or are an only child. It is quite common for a child to worry about friendships and often this can have a knock-on effect on their school work. You may find that if your child is struggling with friendships that they start to say they don’t want to go to school. It can be increasingly harder to encourage them to go.

If your child is really struggling with friendships then it may be a good idea to go in and speak to the teacher about the issue. They may be able to move them round so they have the opportunity to spend time with other people and make new friends that way.