26 // When Your Kid Refuses to Go To School (and Nothing You Try Works)

The Raising Kids with Purpose Podcast · Aug 13, 2026 · 34m

School refusal is so often labeled defiance, manipulation, or laziness, but it's actually a child's nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do: keep them safe. In this episode, Adriane shares her own years-long journey through school refusal with her son, from the "perfect student" mask that cracked open at home, to the day he walked into a classroom and walked right back out yelling "anxiety sucks," to finally finding the environment where he could thrive. Along the way, she shares the tips, mindset shifts, and advocacy strategies she wishes she'd known back then.

In this…