Advice for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children

Is your child especially sensitive? If so, you should know that research has concluded that approximately 15% of all children are hypersensitive. Your child has an innate ability to recognize life’s subtleties a bit more than the average child. They might notice things like faint smells, pick up on human emotion, or even feel uncomfortable wearing tags on their shirts and having seams in their socks. Essentially, they pick up on sounds, smells, visuals, and other things in a refined way.

Hypersensitivity Requires In-Depth Decision Making

While there are certainly advantages to having such sensitivities, it can also present challenges for parents. You have to consider the sensitivities of your child before making decisions that otherwise would not have needed so much thought. Is this okay for my child? Will this cause them to react negatively? How can I make it more comfortable? 

The great thing about parenting however is – you’re not the first one to do it. That means there is a ton of information out there on how you can be the best parent possible to your highly sensitive child. Below are some suggestions to help.

• Make Play Time a Regular – Your child is very sensitive to what others may say to them. They are also in need of quality time as they pay attention to those that spend time with them daily. When your child is allowed to spend more quality time with you, they feel more self-confident and able to deal with the triggers of life.

• Watch Out for Crowds – Most children who are hypersensitive can be triggered by being in a crowd. Too many people, noises, or distractions can cause overstimulation which leads to frustration for your child. As difficult as it might be, you’ll want to steer clear of events or locations where there are going to be a lot of people.

• Assure Their Comfort – One of the many triggers for hypersensitivity in children is their ability to feel things on a heightened level. For instance, they might cry if the tag in their tee shirt rubs on their skin or try to take off their socks because they don’t like the way the seam feels. Either way, you’ll need to make sure that they are comfortable. There are vendors like SmartKnitKIDS that provide seamless and tagless clothing to suit the needs of your children.

• Let Their Creativity Shine – Children who are highly sensitive love the idea of being creative. When they have a creative outlet where they can turn their energies to, it helps to rejuvenate them from the many triggers in the world around them. Whether you let them play music, paint or learn a new creative hobby, they’ll appreciate doing something they love on a regular basis.

• Give Choices – Giving your child the ability to make decisions early on will help them to feel empowered. Whether it’s deciding on what to eat for dinner or choosing the movie they’re going to watch, choices make them feel great about who they are and in control.

• Encourage Happiness – While no child will be happy all the time, a hypersensitive child will experience overwhelming feelings at times. By encouraging happiness and teaching them the art of letting go, you essentially help them learn to deal with their feelings in a healthy way.

Don’t look at your child’s hypersensitivity as a hindrance or weakness. In fact, it is quite the opposite. There are so many gifts that come with being extra sensitive to the world around them. As their parents, it is our job to help lift them up and guide them as they navigate through life and the many triggers that cause meltdowns and negative emotions.