19/06/2026
"I don't want to go."
It's a sentence that can make a parent's heart sink.
Especially if it's an activity your child normally enjoys.
Over the years, I've noticed that those five words don't always mean what we think they mean.
Sometimes a child is tired.
Sometimes they've had a long week at school.
Sometimes they're worried about getting something wrong.
Sometimes they can't quite explain the feeling themselves.
I've seen children complain all the way there...
..and then come out three hours later smiling, chatting and asking what's happening next week.
Children have little wobbles sometimes.
To be honest, adults do too.
I think it's easy to panic when enthusiasm dips slightly, especially when it's something they usually love.
What I tend to look at is what happens afterwards.
How do they seem when they come out?
What do they talk about later?
Are they asking about next week?
Because that often tells you much more than what happened on the way there.
And if a child genuinely isn't happy or isn't settling, my team and I would absolutely let you know.
Most of the time though, it's simply a little wobble rather than a sign something is wrong.
