New Survey Shows Some Of The Biggest Reasons Kids Skip School

What are some of the biggest reasons keeping kids from going to school?

A survey of parents by the Kids Mental Health Foundation found, while the number one reason was being physically sick, nearly a third of parents say their child missed school due to fear or anxiety.

Mental health reasons keeping kids from school included bullying, not fitting in, worrying about a test, or having to speak in public.

Most parents would keep their child home from school if they were vomiting or had a high fever, but what if your child says they don’t feel well and there are no obvious signs of illness.

A team at the University of Michigan polled parents of middle and high school students and found they often weigh whether they think their child can make it through the day, whether their child will pose a risk to others, and whether their child needs a mental health day.

In the end, about half would keep their child home to be on the safe side, a quarter of parents would send their child to school and “hope for the best,” and a fifth of parents would allow their child to make the decision.

Interestingly, nearly two-thirds of parents said their children worry that missing school due to an illness will have a negative impact on grades, which could suggest their child is striving to do well, but also could reflect anxiety about school performance.