Design For Life

Our child is lashing out when we try to take her to school – what can we do?

This week, expert Colman Noctor advises a reader whose child is having a tough time as she starts school

Many children initially struggle to cope with the unfamiliar experience of starting school. Illustration: Getty

Dear Expert,

Our daughter started school this month, and to say it hasn’t gone well is an understatement. Every day, she kicks and screams to avoid getting into her school uniform. I have to bundle her into the car, and she cries the whole way. I’ve started to feel like I’m going to get arrested for kidnapping her.

Seriously, though, it’s all getting too much for us. We’ve had to bring her home several times ...