Getting my youngest daughter to eat breakfast before school was not easy. I put in front of her what I thought she should eat. She resisted. It was only after putting two choices for breakfast in front of her that breakfast started to go off without a hitch. Controlling her choice for breakfast shut her down. In hindsight, I think she was instinctively trying to tell me she wanted a voice in this breakfast moment. Giving her a choice lowered her shield and helped her practice – and ultimately to learn – the skill of agency.
