What to Do When Your Child Is Lonely at School 

Being a parent today is tough work, especially when it comes to knowing how to navigate many of the challenges and barriers faced by one’s children. If you are a parent of a child who is struggling at school when it comes to making friends, feeling lonely, being bullied, or something else, our child therapy experts at Life Insight can help. To learn more about our services for child therapy and how child therapy may help both you and your child, reach out today. In the meantime, here’s some advice for supporting your child when they’re feeling lonely at school or otherwise struggling—

Common Reasons Why Your Child May Be Struggling Socially

Having friends is an incredibly important part of a child’s development. Not only is spending time with friends fun, but it’s also a key part of learning different social behaviors and a range of lifelong skills, such as listening, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and self-expression. If your child is struggling to make friends and is feeling lonely as such, common reasons for their difficulty might include:

• Anxiety. It’s not uncommon for people of all ages to experience anxiety when they’re in social situations. If your child is having a hard time joining other kids in activities even when invited to participate, social anxiety may be to blame.
• Maturity. Some kids are slower to mature than others or are perhaps in a situation where they are much younger than their peers (think of a child who perhaps skipped a grade or two). This can be a barrier to making friends. 
• Interests/personality clashes. In some cases, kids are just unique and have different interests and personalities than those who make up their immediate social circles, which can make finding shared interests and developing friendships more difficult. 
• Social development delays. In some situations, a child may lack the social skills needed to make friends. Social skills are learned, and some children need more support than others in developing these skills. 

Ways You Can Support Your Child

Being the parent of a child who seems lonely can be heartbreaking. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to support your child when they’re going through a tough time. Ways to be supportive include asking open-ended questions, validating their experience, giving encouragement, and practicing social skills. Scheduling some time with a child therapist who can provide professional guidance is also recommended. 

Call Life Insight Today

At Life Insight, we understand how difficult it can be for children and their parents when children are struggling with loneliness or other challenges. To learn more about child therapy and how our therapists at Life Insight can help, reach out to our team of professionals directly today.