Family Therapy Response
I would have to applaud you for your use of active listening, open-ended questions, and taking a break when conflict seemed on the verge of escalating into something unmanageable. In the end, the two of you agreed on a compromise. I am not sure what I would have done in your situation, but my go-to response would probably be authoritarian, saying something like, Guess what, I dont care what you think, youre going to schoolhowever, because Im also understanding I probably would have actually sided with him and said something like, You know what? Youre probably righttake the week off, you deserve it. Butof course, I have no idea what I would have really done in your situation. I think you handled it pretty well, all things considered.
I suppose that my big concern when it comes to family situations like this is that I dont want to encourage anything negative or harmful. Like if I thought that allowing a week off would encourage laziness and sloth, I would feel like I was being a neglectful parent. If I thought that forcing him to go another week was pointless, I feel like I would be obliging him to waste his time. I would like to have something constructive for my kids to do at all times, so that they are making the most of all situations, of their time and energy, and opportunities, and so onbut just being able to do all that requires one to really be on the ball. Im not sure if could manage that.
Overall, I think your approach is empathetic, considerate and thoughtful and reflects well on your ability to manage conflict in a positive manner. I totally agree with you, however, in that taking the right stepsi.e., active listening, etc.can sometimes not go as planned (i.e., not produce the desired effect), so defusing the situation by taking a break could be the best approach of all.
