When Your Child is Refusing to Do What She is Capable of Doing: Skill vs. Will

Being cooperative and successful is a combination of having the skill and having the will.  Since Anna has dressed herself in the past and usually does so with little to no prompting when she “can’t dress herself” it’s pretty obvious she’s lacking the will. The question of course is why? 

Words to Use When Your Child is Feeling Anxious

How do you respond when your child refuses to go upstairs by himself, cries if you attempt to leave him before he’s asleep at bedtime, or doesn’t want to go to an activity you know he will love once he gets there? When a child is experiencing anxiety, he demonstrates it in his behavior. Often that behavior is a vehement protest, but sometimes, it is a complete “shut down,” in which he is incapable of doing things he could do just yesterday. No matter which response, it is tempting to simply avoid the difficult situation, but anxiety increases when situations are avoided. Instead, it is important to gently nudge your child forward, empowering and supporting him to take on this challenge. Your words and actions make a difference.