Hi, I need a few tips on how to support my daughter, 14, before I seek professional help.
She has had a few problems in school, for example, yesterday, the first day back, new teachers, new classroom, so she struggled to settle and I was called to come pick her up because she was getting distressed. Totally normal for the first day back. But my worries (and schools) are from today and a bit from yesterday. I'll tell you about her day:
Lesson 1: English. She was good and stayed in the whole lesson and was happy.
Lesson 2: Science. She was reluctant to go in at first so a teacher did her work (a test) outside with her. She then continued it in the classroom.
Break: She phoned her dad. She's not allowed her phone in school, let alone be on it.
Lesson 3: Maths. She went in but left straight after. She said this was because she had flashbacks from exactly a year ago when she was in hospital due to mental health and the maths work reminded her about it all. She was sat in the dining hall and the head teacher came by and she saw that she had a bandage on her arm and what happened and my daughter replied, 'It's nothing' with a few anxious giggles. She left and sat outside where her favourite teachers were talking to her and she opened up.
Lesson 4: ICT. She joined in half the lesson after speaking to the teacher.
Lunch: She was on the phone again talking to her dad about the flashbacks.
Lesson 5: She sat outside on her bench
Lesson 6: Sat on the bench but then jumped the gate and called me and went back to school and sat outside the school with a teacher until I picked her up.
Possible TW:
Sorry that's quite a bit to read but she has been self harming by cutting and scratching her arm and not eating well but she just had lunch which is great. Any ideas what to do before professional help because this is because of the flashbacks of her being in hospital and all the things that happened in there.
