When Your Child Won't Go to School

A child melts down at the door, stomach pain, tears, refusal, and you’re standing there with a 9am meeting to get to, unsure whether to push harder or give in.

Your child is at a developmental crossroads, but when should does normal age-appropriate behaviour become emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)? And more importantly, what can you do about it?

Not every worry is an anxiety disorder, and when we treat normal discomfort as something it isn’t, we risk teaching children that hard feelings mean something is wrong with them.

In this episode, I help you to understand the difference between something totally expected for your child’s developmental stage, versus something that may need some additional support and attention.

I am going to share the four functions of avoidance to look out for, and give you some practical things you can do to help your kids right away.

So take a seat, pour yourself a cuppa, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

00:56 - 2 truths

07:25 - 4 reasons for school avoidance

10:48 - 3 levels of distress tolerance

16:13 - The core skills you’re building

19:01 - Neurodiversity and school avoidance