The 'social contract' between families and schools has been broken during the pandemic, and ongoing absence of kids is a 'deep and concerning problem' according to Amanda Spielman, chief of the UK schools watchdog. Rates of school refusal and truanting are a huge problem in other countries too. Finding the right approach for dealing with it is crucial, because whatever the reason for missing school it takes a lot of fixing and is a symptom of something else that needs to be unpicked. RESOURCES:The printable anxiety iceberg sheet: https://phecanada.ca/sites/default/files/content/docs/teach-resiliency/Iceberg.jpgHow to make a self-soothe box:https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/blog/how-to-make-a-self-soothe-box/RESEARCH AND LINKS TO HELP:www.schoolrefusal.co.ukParenting Tips 26: How to help your teen with friendship skills.Parenting Tips 19: You don't like your teen's friends.Parenting Tips 17: The lying teenager.Parenting Tips 16: Boy friendships.Parenting Tips 14: Anxiety.Parenting Tips 12: Bullying.Parenting Tips 10: Girls navigating friendship groups.Parenting Tips 5: The academic struggler.https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/school-education/truancy-other-school-problems/truancy-9-15-yearshttps://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/school-anxiety-and-refusal/#:~:text=About%20the%20term%20'school%20refusal,other%20professionals%20using%20this%20term.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534195/https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/2/e20183648/37326/The-Link-Between-School-Attendance-and-Good-Health?searchresult=1?autologincheck=redirectedhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201709/understanding-school-refusal#:~:text=School%20refusal%20is%20different%20from%20truancy&text=Children%20who%20are%20truant%20from,can%20happen%20at%20any%20age.https://impactparents.com/blog/adhd/child-really-doesnt-care-school/Thanks for listening. Creating this podcast has been transformative for our family lives; we hope it does the same for yours. Please subscribe if you like our podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.Our website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact us:www.teenagersuntangled.comSusie is available for a free 15 minute consultation, and has a great blog:www.amindful-life.co.uk