There’s something about May the Fourth that brings a little spark of magic into the day. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, the playfulness, or the reminder of a much-loved story from Star Wars, where ordinary people discover an extraordinary force within them. And today, I want to gently suggest something: Your child has a force too. Not a sci-fi power… but something just as real; a natural ability to settle, to reconnect, to feel safe again.

By the time February arrives, Christmas feels firmly in the past, but for many families, the strain it placed on already-stretched nervous systems is still very present.

Every year, during School Avoidance Awareness Week , we shine a light on a challenge many families face but often feel too ashamed or...