When My Daughter Said She Didn’t Want to Go to School

My daughter loves school.

In fact, she loves any opportunity to go out, explore, and just be around people. So when she started saying, “I don’t want to go to school,” I was immediately concerned. It wasn’t just once—it became frequent, and each time, my heart sank a little.

At first, I thought she might be tired, or maybe coming down with something. But when I paid closer attention, I noticed she made this statement whenever something didn’t go her way, even if she was part of the problem.

Still, one of her most recent reasons caught my attention.

She came to me one morning, her brows furrowed in frustration, and declared once again, “Mummy, I don’t want to go to school.”
I gently asked, “Why?”
She paused, then lit up—as she always does when she realises I’m listening.

“There are some children in my class,” she began. “During assembly, they were pushing me. I wanted to stand in a spot, but they wouldn’t let me. They pushed me out of the line.”

I asked softly, “What did you do?”

“I pushed them back,” she replied, firm and proud.

We both sat with that for a second.

Part of me smiled at her courage. Another part of me knew it was time to teach her something deeper.

I pulled her close and said, “I love how brave you are. You’re not afraid to stand up for yourself—and that’s a beautiful thing. But violence, even small pushing, is not the best way to solve a problem.”

She looked up at me, curious.

“You see,” I continued, “when someone pushes you, it doesn’t mean you should push them back. Instead, you can step away, tell a teacher, or come and talk to Mummy. If someone doesn’t want you in a space, it’s okay to move and find another spot where you’re treated kindly. That doesn’t make you weak—it makes you wise.”

She nodded slowly. I knew it was a seed planted.

It’s in these little moments that I’m reminded that raising children isn’t just about protecting them. It’s about equipping them to speak up, stand strong, and choose peace, even when it’s hard.

And that morning, we chose peace together.