What to do if your child has been expelled from school for hitting
Has your son been expelled from school? That time shouldn’t be a vacation for him! What to do about it?
No parent wants to get a call from the school saying their child has been expelled for misbehaving or assaulting another classmate. If you receive this type of call, the first thing to do is not to panic. Instead, take quick steps to ensure that your child’s suspension becomes a life lesson that motivates him to never do so again.
Index
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
You have to know what really happened and what is the history of what happened. Let your child explain his version to you regardless of the story he tells you. It is important to take a deep breath and try to understand what has really happened.
If you can, also meet with school professionals in person with your child present. Then you can sort out what happened until you know and understand why your child has been expelled from school. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy towards any type of aggression so maybe he was just joking without wanting to do anything wrong, but obviously the forms were not the most appropriate.
Although this still deserves a consequence, the behavior will likely have less consequence than if the aggressive behavior had been hitting directly in the face. Once you know the history of what happened, you can determine what type of discipline will be the most appropriate, as well as any skill deficits that your child may have.
EXPULSION IS NOT A VACATION
Keep in mind that out-of-school expulsion is the school’s last resort. If you fight with another student, a consequence in the center is not always enough. An expulsion from school is the school’s way of saying that they cannot offer a serious enough consequence in the school setting and that parents must find appropriate discipline.
What happens, that a few days off from school can seem like a vacation for your child and this can be a big mistake. Sitting at home watching TV or sleeping in the middle of the day probably won’t stop him from getting into another fight in the future, so it’s important to make sure your child doesn’t enjoy his free time.
Here are some ways to make sure your child’s expulsion doesn’t turn into a vacation:
- Take away the electronic privileges and don’t let him see his friends during the days of expulsion.
- Consider assigning unpleasant chores like extra cleaning around the house or odd jobs. Remember, the goal is to make your day much less enjoyable than the normal school day, so you don’t want it to be suspended again in the future.
- If you can’t be home, be sure to find someone to watch your child, even if you have an older teenager . You can ask a neighbor, grandfather or friend. You will need to make sure you don’t let a compassionate grandparent or conspiratorial friend let your child watch TV all day or sleep whatever he wants.
- If you have to leave an older teenager alone at home, take electronics or power cords with you to prevent them from watching TV or playing games on the computer. In addition, you will have to give him a detailed list of tasks and make clear your expectations and the consequences of not fulfilling it. For example, “You will get your phone and laptop back on Friday if you do your assigned tasks each day.”
- If the school or institute has given your child defects that he should do, he will have to fulfill his obligation. If you cannot get your work in advance, you will need to set aside time for him to read a book or do a learning activity. You can even give him some tasks of his own to complete.
TEACH NEW SKILLS
In addition to giving your child the consequences mentioned above, it is necessary to teach him skills so that in the future what happened does not happen again. For example, if you got into a fight because you lost your patience, you will need to learn to develop your anger management skills. Or if you fought because you couldn’t resolve a conflict otherwise, you will need to learn conflict resolution skills . Make it clear to your child that there are many ways to approach problems, but violence is never the answer.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.