Highly Sensitive & Empathic Kids
When you have a child that’s considered ‘highly sensitive’ it means that they’re going to feel things more deeply.?They’ll be extremely kind and compassionate, and will have their feelings hurt easily. They’ll love extra hard and feel more emotional pain than they think they can handle. They get overwhelmed easily.
These are also kids that tend to be anxious, depressed and sometimes suicidal.
If you have a child like this, they’ll sense when you’re feeling sad or upset, and they’ll try to make you feel better - because they share in your emotional pain. They can feel it as their own.
Yet they don’t have the life experience you do, and they don’t understand that their emotions will shift and change.
Here are 3 Ways you can best support kids highly sensitive and empathic kids:
1. Talking about how you’re feeling, without sharing too many details.
This will help them understand what they’re feeling from you. Identifying emotions is educational and comforting for them.
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2. Don’t pretend that everything is ok when it’s not.
When you say ‘it’s all ok’, yet you feel the opposite, they can feel that. It creates an emotional disconnect that’s extremely confusing for them. It ends up getting them entangled in a complicated loop of emotions they can’t work through – because they don’t make sense. Instead, try saying something like, “I don’t know how it will work out, but I know it will be ok.”
3. Do your own emotional healing work.
You lead by example, whether you’re aware of it or not. Your child will absorb your emotional and behavioral modeling until they figure out their own. Whatever emotional traumas you’re holding onto from past experiences of your own will impact how you act, what you say and how you respond. You’re subconsciously imprinting your child with your own emotional experiences, which will create similar life experiences for them.
If you’re the mom of a child who’s highly sensitive and empathic, and you think they may be struggling with anxiety or depression – reach out and let’s talk about it, I know how confusing it can be! Book a call with me today by sending me a message or booking a call directly here: https://calendly.com/mauramcmahon/30min
Peace, Maura