I want to close out 2023 with a question for you to think about.

This is especially pertinent if you were sent to your room a lot as a child or you’ve been immersed in time-out culture as a parent.

The question is this: When your child is upset and pushing you away, or attacking you, or running away from you, what if what they (and probably you) think they need isn’t what they actually need?

In other words, many parents believe that their kids need space to calm down.

Many kids “show us” that they need space to calm down - or that they think they do - by removing themselves from the rest of the group.

What if this is a pattern built on a false belief system?

What if what they actually need is for us to follow them and engage in our own self-regulating practice nearby?

What if we are mis-interpreting the need for a pause as the need for space, for alone time?

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