Because sometimes, all a refusing child needs is one person to say:
I didn’t argue. I sat on the floor by her bed and read a book out loud. A silly fantasy novel. She fell asleep after two chapters. 30 days with my schoolrefusing sister final better
I left without her. When I came home, she was exactly where I’d left her: buried in her duvet, phone dark, face blank. Our parents sat at the kitchen table like hostages. Because sometimes, all a refusing child needs is
“I know.”
— Older Brother, former fixer, current dinosaur emoji on standby. She fell asleep after two chapters
Through this experience, I learned that my sister's school refusal was not just about being lazy or rebellious, but rather a complex issue that involved anxiety, fear, and a desire for control. As I worked with her to address these underlying issues, I saw her transform from a resistant and anxious individual to a more confident and motivated person.
She admitted the truth. We were sitting on the back porch. She said, "I wasn't just scared of school. I was scared that everyone knew I was broken. And then by staying home, I made it true. I was broken." I told her, "You aren't broken. You were just stuck. And being stuck isn't a character flaw. It's a signal."