My five-year-old child has just started going to school a month ago. She has never been out without her parents. This is her first time outside in a big set up with complete strangers. Initially, she cried a lot and we tried leaving her at school first and then staying with her there for some time. But the school authorities took things in their hands a couple of days ago. My child started sitting in the class and stopped crying, and according to them 'she is fine now'. But she became very quiet after coming back. Her usual playfulness was missing. She was not speaking much and was mostly nodding her head in response when asked anything. Even the things she is usually excited by were not interesting her. She went out to play but came shortly saying 'I am tired'. I took her out and after very long time she started talking normally. I spoke to her teachers and they said we were a bit strict with her today as it was needed. They're saying we should send her to school and this behaviour would be over within a week or so. But my wife and I are very worried that her childhood is being lost in this exercise. What should we do?

Hi Dr Karthiyayini My son is 5 and extremely restless at school. He is academically bright and gets an A always but he is impatient, extremely naughty and very messy in his work. Nowadays he gets reprimanded too often because of his behaviour. What can I do to help him?

Dear Dr. Aartiji, My younger son just 5 years 8 months age his behavior totally different in two different places in house very energetic, always playing with his brother and talkative with huge stupid language, but whenever he goes to school do not talk to any one even teachers but quickly any education task does with good hand writing and question answers other than other children. just tell me what to do with his behavior?

My five-year-old daughter has just started school. For the first two days she was fine, but after that she started crying the whole time. Her teachers called us, asking us to take her home as she was crying relentlessly. We were even allowed to sit with her at school, but still she refused to go to class. Now, she even refuses to go to school. We push her inside the class but she comes out running moments later. Cries the whole time she is in school, whether we are there or not. We asked her if everything is fine, she only says 'I don't like school, don't like teachers and classmates'. Two of her friends, with whom she plays every evening, are also in the same class. But she refuses to even sit with them in the class. She misbehaves with teachers when forced to sit in the class. Though she apologises later when prompted. One day when we left her in school, we got a call within half an hour that she is showing very violent behaviour, hitting herself against the wall and running towards the school gate. All this made us very frightened as school buses keep coming and going on the main thoroughfare. The school counsellor failed to help. She said my daughter is not responding to counselling. We are absolutely clueless about what to do. Forcing her seems pointless.

Hello Aruna, My daughter is 5year old now and she’s very scared of loud noise and voice both.for example loud noise in theatres,DJ’s. Even if we parents or teachers say something at high pitch she got very scared. She’s behave like normal child at home as kids do but in school she almost don’t talk to other children’s around her only answers to teachers if they ask her anything. When we talk to her and ask her why you don’t talk she explains that ma’am says don’t talk, keep quite which teachers generally says to everybody. Due to this she many times refuse to go to school.Her teachers also change frequently, as she get comfortable with a teacher she left the school. Kindly suggest what we should do.

My child is 13 years old and studies in school. Over the past few weeks, I have noticed small but clear changes constant smiling while looking at the phone, waiting eagerly for school in the morning, and repeatedly mentioning the same classmate during conversations. Homework now takes longer, marks have slightly dropped, and the class teacher has shared that my child seems distracted in class. When I gently try to ask what’s going on, my child becomes shy, avoids eye contact, and changes the topic, making me unsure how much to intervene. As a parent, I feel confused and worried, but I don’t want to scold or break my child’s trust.