Cultivating your child’s sense of belonging at school

Having a sense of belonging means feeling like you’re part of a group and making meaningful connections with people.
The ability to form social bonds (and thus develop a sense of belonging) is of paramount importance for kids. It’s essential to academic success because it has a positive effect on the following:

• Academic performance
• Self-esteem
• Motivation
• Self-confidence
• Etc.

For a child to feel they belong, one of the most important requirements is that they feel safe in their environment. To help your child feel comfortable at school, invite them to look in their agenda. They’ll find information about the following:

• The school code of conduct
• The school’s educational project
• The school schedule
• Specialized school staff
• Bullying prevention measures
• Etc.

To help kids enjoy being at school, parents should demonstrate a favourable attitude toward the school and its teaching staff. Why? Because kids tend to be influenced by adults’ opinions. That’s why you should take every opportunity to speak well of your child’s school. Here are some ideas on what you can say:

• Mention how much you like your child’s teacher
• Praise the activities organized by the school
• Acknowledge the support staff’s incredible work
• Etc.

Connecting with others is one of the keys to developing self-confidence and a sense of belonging. However, being part of a group and getting to know other people doesn’t come easily for all children. To help your child build friendships, encourage them to do the following:

• Play with others at recess
• Invite classmates over to your home
• Show interest in others
• Go to the park to hang out with friends after school
• Exchange phone numbers (or email addresses)
• Etc.

The activities a school offers (e.g., lunchtime table tennis, chess club, extracurricular activities) help to strengthen students’ sense of belonging and provide an opportunity for them to develop various skills and interests. That’s because these activities allow kids to do the following:

• Make new friends
• Meet adults who could potentially be role models or mentors
• Develop various social skills
• Get to know themselves better
• Discover new interests
• Make positive school memories
• Etc.

• The Quebec Federation of Home and Schools Association  
• Fédération des comités de parents du Québec : pour s'impliquer dans des comités scolaires