You stepped back. You let them feel it. And it worked, until it didn't. The problem isn't the tool. It's the incomplete instruction manual every parent was handed alongside it.

Your kid retreats to their room after a hard day. Should you follow them or give them space? You've been told "never leave kids alone with big feelings” but you've also been told "respect their need for autonomy." But alone time isn't universally good or bad. What matters is WHY your child is retreating and learning to read the signals that tell you the difference.