Until she felt safe—emotionally, physically, relationally—no amount of punishment would work. Safety is the prerequisite for learning. Always.
On Day 18, she makes it to the porch steps. She sits there for ten minutes, shaking. To an outsider, it looks like nothing. To us, it looks like a marathon. I sit next to her, not saying a word. We watch a squirrel navigate the fence. It is the first time in three weeks I have seen her shoulders drop from her ears. The victory is microscopic, but it is ours. 30 days with my schoolrefusing sister
Then shut up and listen.