Four-year-old Brooklynn is struggling in preschool and at home. She wants to do things by herself, but her teachers and parents keep telling her what to do. What is she struggling with, and why?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Brooklynn is struggling with autonomy. Autonomy means having control over your actions and your life. When autonomy is absent, you feel controlled by forces alien to the self. Adults are always telling children what to do, and their emotions can overwhelm them.