Childhood Chronicles: Navigating School Performance Amidst Family Challenges

Home is a child’s first learning space. Family dynamics impact their behavioural and social skills. They imbibe what they see and observe at home, including the interpersonal relationships between their parents and among all the family members. A secure, stable, supportive family environment fosters positive values, beliefs, and attitudes. They grow up to become confident and well-adjusted young individuals, reflected in their behaviour and performance at school. 

However, suppose a child is exposed to constant parental conflicts at home that create a stressful and tense environment with no sense of security and support for them. In that case, they may not be equipped to handle the emotional, social, and academic challenges needed to perform well in school.

Types of Parental Conflicts 

The relationship between parents is a vital factor in a child’s behaviour and performance at school. When children witness frequent confrontations between their parents, it becomes difficult for them to concentrate in school, which impacts their retention abilities. Subsequently, their performance in school suffers. 

However, the intensity of the impact of parental conflict depends on the type of conflict the child is exposed to. The various kinds of parental disputes include:

• Non-verbal discord that manifests through hurtful actions
• Cold vibes with no or minimal interaction and a lack of acknowledgment of the other
• Aggressive behaviour where one or both parents express their aggression through actions or words
• Controlling behaviour is where one parent tries to dominate the other physically or verbally
• Deep-rooted conflicts that have remained unresolved for a long time
• Relationships lacking respect or trust 
• Domestic violence with either or both verbal and physical abuse

Other Family Challenges That Impact Children’s School Performance

Family dynamics can have a huge impact on a child’s cognitive performance. Issues that unsettle and cause stress in a family environment can be challenging for a child and impact their school performance. The problems may be:

1. Shift in Family Dynamics: Parental divorce is the biggest cause of shifting family dynamics that impact a child. Due to the breakup in their family unit, they experience a gamut of emotions ranging from sadness, anger, fear, insecurity, and guilt, leading to reduced well-being levels. It adversely affects their skills to stay focussed and motivated leading to lesser interaction in class, lower grades, increased absenteeism, incomplete assignments, and even behavioural issues.

Some divorces result in children relocating to a new place and joining a new school. Finding themselves in a changed environment at home and school can extensively disrupt their academic performance. Other post-divorce scenarios may include living in a new family set-up or boarding school where they may feel isolated, with negative consequences on their performance in school.

2. Financial Difficulties: The family’s lack of financial stability can affect the child’s school performance. It often fosters insecurity or even a sense of inferiority in the child due to the lack of adequate resources that other students may have, such as textbooks, school fees, a computer at home, or going on field trips and participating in extracurricular activities. It is reflected in their performance by way of lesser focus and participation in class.

3. Sibling Tension: While all siblings share a healthy dose of sibling rivalry, if the fighting and ridiculing extend beyond a certain point, making the child feel insecure and unhappy in their home, it can harm their emotional and social skills and adversely affect their ability to give their best in school.

Family Dynamics and its Impact on Children

Children with skewed family dynamics undergo severe mental upheavals, and its impacts may range from:

• Poor academic performance 
• Withdrawal, aggression, depression, and anxiety
• Rash behaviour
• Addiction
• Suicidal thoughts

Parental Actions That Positively Impact Children’s School Performance 

1. Increased Interaction: Increased parental interaction helps children handle stressful situations. Lack of communication may lead to anger, confusion, and frustration at not understanding what’s happening.

2. Continual Encouragement: Their parents’ continued encouragement and involvement in school activities give children the impetus to perform better academically. 

3. Professional Help: A therapist with expertise in child psychology can equip your child with the right tools and skills to navigate through difficult family times. It allows them to express their emotions and process the thoughts they experience during a central family dynamic shift without impacting their academic performance.

Final Word

Family dynamics can significantly impact a child’s behaviour and performance in school. Children from stable and supportive families thrive in school as they learn the requisite skills and abilities at home. However, children belonging to conflicted families face emotional difficulties that deter them from performing well in school. 

Prerana Hospital: Your Holistic Mental Wellness Partner in Mysore

Prerana Hospital has been offering specialised treatment programmes for a broad spectrum of mental health conditions for over a decade. Our psychiatry department team, headed by expert and experienced neuropsychiatrists, is committed to providing holistic and tailored solutions for paediatric, adolescents, and adults within a supportive environment for the best outcomes.

For outpatient appointments or to learn more about our mental wellness plans, contact us today.