When a child says "Go away," she's expressing self-rejection and feeling unlovable, not actually rejecting you. Stay calm, sit quietly nearby, and use reassuring language like "I love you, I'm staying with you." Your calm presence helps her feel safe and regulate her emotions.
When our child's upset and says, 'Go away! Leave me alone!' what they really mean is, 'I'm not lovable and I hate myself, so I don't want you around me.' But actually what they need is our calm, loving attention so they can start to regulate the emotions causing the outburst. Don't take it personally. Say something like, 'I really love you, so I'm going to stay with you. You're going to be okay. I'll just sit here quietly. You don't have to talk to me.' and then wait and work on holding the space and staying calm yourself. See what happens next time your child does this. For my booklet on how to manage tantrums and emotional outbursts, drop a comment below and I'll send it to you.
