244 The Explosive Child- The embarrassment factor: They’d be embarrassed if
they exploded in front of their peers. Since the em-
barrassment factor can’t be replicated at home, em-
barrassment doesn’t prevent the child from blowing
up at home. - The tightly wrapped factor: The child has put so much
energy into holding it together at school that he be-
comes unraveled the minute he gets home, fueled
further by normal late-afternoon fatigue and hunger. - The herd-mentality factor: Because the school day tends
to be relatively structured and predictable, it can actu-
ally be user-friendlier than unstructured downtime at
home. For instance, if a child becomes confused about
where he’s supposed to be or what he’s supposed to be
doing while he’s at school, he need look no further
than his classmates for cues. The herd-mentality factor
can’t be replicated at home either. - The chemical factor: Teachers and peers often are the
primary beneficiaries of pharmacotherapy, but the
medications may have worn off by late afternoon or
early evening.
There are probably other possibilities. But just be-
cause a child isn’t exploding at school doesn’t mean that