As a mother, I want to teach my son to advocate for his own health. If he truly does not feel well enough mentally or physically to go to school, I let him rest that day. I do ask him to use his words and tell me why he doesn’t want to go to school. School is a lot; life is a lot. I want my teenager to take self-care days if he needs them. He does not abuse this, and he is back to school next day, and all is good. He still maintains good grades and gets along with his teachers.