What to do when your kids don't want to go back to school.

Most parents understand how difficult it can be to get their offspring out of bed in the morning and off to school. After a long summer of sleeping in and enjoying days by the pool and nights playing Super Nintendo, attending classes doesn't sound so attractive to most kids.

"There are a lot of reasons why a child may not want to go to school," indicates Randall Flanery, assistant professor of community and family medicine, St. Louis (Mo.) University School of Medicine, and a pediatric psychologist. "For whatever reason, school is too hard, nobody likes them, or it's a new school. Also, a change in the family structure such as a divorce can be difficult. This is all fertile ground for what we call school avoidance."

He recommends parents talk positively with their offspring about their anxieties. Try to relate to the child and understand his or her concerns. Make it normal and be empathetic. Don't let them feel like they are dumb or weird for not liking school. "I think a positive attitude in parents is very important. Parents who are anxious communicate their anxiety to the child."

Often, a youngster may feign illness to get out of going to school. Doctors say you shouldn't confront them or imply they are lying. "If he says his stomach hurts, or makes some other vague, unvalidatable symptom, don't ever say...