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Does your child feel more deeply? Perhaps your little one is moved easily or notices subtle changes in their environment. They may also have a strong emotional connection to the world around them.
There’s a scientific explanation for this. According to HuffPost, highly sensitive children tend to experience sensory input more intensely than others. They may show deep empathy, heightened awareness of their surroundings, and can become easily overwhelmed.
Signs Your Child is Highly Sensitive
Whether it’s through feeling the world around them on a deep level or the gift of being extremely perceptive, there are signs that your child is highly sensitive. Learn how to tell whether they have this unique trait.
Sensitivity to Sensory Stimuli
Children with this special characteristic may be sensitive to loud noises, an itchy tag, or strong smells. Crowded or chaotic environments can also feel overstimulating.
Observe Situations Cautiously
Highly sensitive kids could take time to warm up to situations, especially when it comes to approaching adults and children they don’t know. If you’re hosting people at your house, your highly sensitive child may want to watch from the sidelines before participating. It’s important to allow them to take in their surroundings and join when they’re ready.
Absorb Emotions Easily
If your child is concerned about everyone else and takes on the feelings of others easily, they might be highly sensitive. When a parent is going through a difficult moment, an HSC can sense this and may “feel like it’s their fault,” Dr. Judith Orloff, a psychiatrist and author, tells HuffPost. She says it’s important to let them know it’s not their fault, reassure them, and remind them that you love them.
Notices Subtleties in their Environment
Finally, highly sensitive children are very observant of their environment. “They’re extremely perceptive, [and] they notice everything,” says Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist. Because of this, they’re likely to pick up and respond to small parenting changes.
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How to Raise Highly Sensitive Children
With mindful practices, you can help your sensitive child thrive in this world, CNBC reports. If your child has this special trait, it’s important to help them feel proud of who they are. Avoid using terms like “shy” or “emotional” when describing them and highlight positive qualities including empathy and observation skills.
For highly sensitive children, sounds, sights, and smells can feel more intense, according to Motherly. You can be proactive by creating spaces they can enter when they need a break to avoid overstimulation. Teaching them to label their feelings and express them can also go a long way in terms of avoiding emotional outbursts and helping them process their inner world. It’s also crucial to manage your own emotions. Through modeling healthy emotional expression, you provide them with a blueprint for managing their big feelings.
Finding a creative outlet for expression such as music may also be a game-changer for highly sensitive kids. This is because it can provide an outlet to channel strong emotions and communicate their internal experience. Creative outlets have another benefit — they can help build confidence as these children see what they are capable of creating.
Lastly, you can build your child’s resilience by validating their emotions, teaching them positive self-talk, and providing them with coping mechanisms. Make sure to let them know how proud you are of them as they encounter hurdles. Through raising them to be resilient, you show them how to move through challenges with grace.
By taking the right steps, you have the power to raise children with an incredible gift. Support them in embracing their inner world, and make conscious choices to help them shine with empathy and courage.
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