Giovanna Fletcher broke down as she spoke, her voice cracking under the weight of a truth that so many parents recognize but rarely hear spoken out loud. This wasn’t a celebrity headline or a dramatic revelation for attention. It was a mother’s raw, painful honesty about the quiet battle her son has been fighting at school — a battle defined not by defiance or disobedience, but by fear.
“I want to go… but I can’t.” Those words, spoken by a child who wants to do the right thing yet feels trapped by overwhelming anxiety, cut straight to the heart. Giovanna explained that her son’s struggle isn’t about refusing school or avoiding responsibility. It’s about panic that takes hold before the school gates, fear that feels impossible to explain, and emotions so big they leave a child frozen. Watching your child suffer like that, she admitted, is a helplessness unlike any other.
As she shared her story, tears flowed — not just from her, but from parents everywhere who suddenly felt seen. Many families live this reality behind closed doors. School-related anxiety is often misunderstood, dismissed as a phase, or labeled as bad behavior. Children are told to “be brave,” to “push through,” while inside they are fighting a storm their young minds don’t yet have the tools to calm.
Giovanna spoke about the guilt that creeps in as a parent — the constant questioning of what you did wrong, or whether you’re doing enough. She described the heartbreak of wanting to protect your child from pain, while knowing that you can’t simply make the fear disappear. Some mornings are calm. Others are filled with tears, tight chests, and whispered reassurances that everything will be okay, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
Her honesty struck a nerve because it challenged a damaging myth: that children who struggle with school anxiety are lazy or spoiled. They’re not. They are trying. Often harder than anyone realizes. And parents, too, are trying — juggling compassion, encouragement, professional help, and their own emotional exhaustion. Giovanna’s message wasn’t about having all the answers. It was about empathy. About listening. About reminding families that they are not alone, and that fear deserves understanding, not judgment.
For every child who says, “I want to go… but I can’t,” and every parent holding them through that moment — this story is a reminder that their pain is real, their love is fierce, and their struggle matters 💔