Now that August is almost here, many parents are beginning to think about getting their children ready for school. If a child is starting either pre-school or regular school in August or September, the kids may be excited or may be worrying. Physical examinations are usually requested by the school and this is a time for parents to be sure that a thorough examination is done, not a cursory one, and not one in a retail clinic. Hopefully, the doctor will want to check that the child's immunizations are up to date and will ask for a vision test and a urinalysis. Checking a hemoglobin is always a good idea also, particularly if a child is a poor eater or has not had an adequate weight gain.
If a child is resistant to starting school, he or she may develop what is called a school phobia and develop all kinds of symptoms in order to stay home. If a child is shy, learning disabled, or has problems interacting with other children, this can often happen. If a child is immature, it may be wise to hold him or her back a year. Boys are often slower than girls in wanting to start school. My father. was a bright college professor, who said he started school at age seven. Then he had his Ph.D at age 21. So kids mature at different ages and sometimes testing is needed to determine what is best for a child. If problems are not detected early, a child can begin to hate school and trouble can lie ahead.
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