Most school refusal advice focuses on behaviour. That’s the problem. From a developmental stress perspective, when a child’s nervous system has been under prolonged activation, the body shifts into protection mode. In protection mode: 🔸The amygdala becomes hyper-reactive. 🔸The prefrontal cortex becomes less accessible. 🔸The body scans for threat cues - not explanations. So when we repeat routines harder … Explain consequences more clearly … Increase structure … We can unintentionally confirm to the nervous system: 🔹 “This is not safe.” School refusal rarely begins with defiance. It begins with accumulated load. And when coping is mistaken for capacity, collapse looks sudden - but it isn’t. If this reframed something for you, save it. 🍓And if you’re tired of advice that increases panic instead of reducing it - Follow. This account is for parents navigating school refusal through safety, not pressure. - Jules ❤️ #schoolrefusal #schoolanxiety #childanxiety