“Don’t Go to Work!”

The ultimate trigger (at least for us): “Don’t go to work!” Can you feel that visceral response bubbling below the surface? And when it happens, it can sometimes seem like kids are being overly dramatic or even bossy, which doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. In our experience, this isn’t intentional “manipulation” or “controlling” but trying to influence a situation that’s causing them stress in the best way they know how. Sometimes the worry they experience makes them feel uncomfortable in their bodies (for more on this topic, refer to the Chapter 9: “My tummy hurts …”) whereas other times it’s a mask for anger they may not feeling comfortable expressing – especially toward the person they want around them the most.