5 Strategies to Support Sensitive Children
Empath children
are gifts to the world and need to be nurtured properly.
As a
psychiatrist and empath, I’m often asked by parents for advice on raising their
sensitive children. As an empath child myself, I never felt like I fit in. Much
of the time, I felt like an alien on earth, waiting to be transported to my
real home in the stars. My ordinarily loving mother would call me “too
sensitive” and would say, “You need to get a thicker skin.” So, I grew up
believing there was something wrong with me, and I had terrible shame about my
sensitive self.
If you’re the parent of a sensitive child, it’s important to support their sensitivities and help them embrace their abilities. This will help them feel comfortable in their own skin now and as they mature into sensitive adults.
This is why I
feel so passionate about my new children’s book, The
Highly Sensitive Rabbit, because I want to help sensitive
children embrace their gifts. I want to help liberate children from the shame I
felt so they can thrive. The book is about a caring rabbit named Aurora who was
shamed by her family for her sensitivities but learns to embrace these gifts
through the love and support of other animals.
The following themes are
explored in the book—they are strategies you can use:
5 Strategies
to Support Empath Children
1.
Encourage
openness.
Invite
your children to speak openly to you or supportive others about their
abilities. Teach them to value their uniqueness and trust their gut feelings
and inner voice. Then, they will see their gifts as natural.
2.
Honor
your children’s feelings
Listen
carefully to what your children feel and respect it, even if it means the
occasional day off from school. If your child needs to crawl under the dining
room table or leave a large gathering, don’t drag them back into the party.
Don’t shame them for wanting to escape. Just let them stay on the sidelines
where they can observe and absorb without becoming overwhelmed.
3.
Educate
family members and teachers
Educate
your children’s teachers and family members about their gifts and tendency for
sensory overload. Ask them to support your children if they are bullied or
teased.
4.
Support
your children in taking alone time to be quiet and creative
Empathic
children thrive on free, unstructured time to be creative and allow their
imaginations to wander. They recharge and calm down when they are alone. This
reduces their stimulation level. Sensitive children often have imaginary
playmates.
5.
Teach
your children breathing and meditation exercises
When
empathic children are stressed, or if they feel as if they’ve taken on other
people’s emotions (including your own), teach them to take a few deep breaths
to calm down. In addition, they can close their eyes for a couple of minutes
and meditate on a relaxing image.
It is a
blessing to support the gifts of empath children. When they learn to manage
their sensitivities early on, their childhood and adult lives will be easier
and more fulfilling. From this perspective, parenting sensitive children is a
spiritual act and sacred responsibility.
“The Highly
Sensitive Rabbit” is now available at all bookstores and through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Independent Bookstores.
Deadline November 10th. Email 
