A highly sensitive child is one of those kids who are highly aware and quick in reacting to every occurrence in their surroundings. Such children turn out to be overly responsive to any and every change in their environment right from smells, sounds, to the overall mood of the people in their surroundings.
However, there is no reason to think that there is anything wrong with an overly sensitive child as it has been noted that such children are genuinely gifted intellectually, emotionally, and creatively. The downside to these abilities is the fact that they also have heightened perceptions and thus, get overwhelmed easily by new situations, unfriendly crowds, sudden changes, and emotional distress of their own and others. You will find the oversensitive kids crying often, frequently worrying about getting into trouble, and needing a great deal of reassurance to move forward.
There is a wrong notion that sensitive children are just shy whereas the truth is that they are prone to feeling each emotion more intensely than others. They struggle to deal with frustration and are highly hesitant in terms of venturing into any new enterprises. Harsh punishments and unkind words can be detrimental to the growth and development of such children and in turn, make them disobedient and stubborn. Thus, parents need to tread extremely carefully when dealing with a sensitive child who might be struggling to thrive in a world that is certainly not as sensitive as them. So, if you feel that your child is an oversensitive one, the following are some of the strategies that can help you in dealing positively with him/her.
Understand and Accept Your Child’s State of Mind
The first step of dealing with an oversensitive child is the acceptance of his/her temperament. There is no need to try and change the kid’s behavior but rather, the focus should be ondirecting his/her attitudes and ideas in the right manner. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the overly sensitive nature of the child, keep in mind that it is this nature that makes him/her highly kind and compassionate to others. Emphasize the inherent gifts and strength of the child to yourself and also to him/her.
Provide the Kid with Enough Calming Time
The sensitive kids are prone to being overstimulated by chaotic environments, bright lights, and large crowds and so, it is best to avoid too much of a strict schedule for the little one. Your child needs to have adequate amounts of peaceful time away from things and situations that cause anxiety. Get him/her a quiet corner in the house, full of calming objects like music CDs, coloring books, storybooks, and the likes for him/her to use forsoothing down under tense situations.
Sincerely Praise the Efforts of the Child
Your child needs plenty of encouragement to pull through any situation and thus, make sure never to hold back words of praise for him/her.However, it is not like you need to start praising the child no matter what he/she does as that can give him/her the impression that you are appreciating him/her for things that any kid is expected to do routinely. Praise the child’s efforts rather than the results, as for instance, point out that you like the hard work that he/she has been putting in that math chapter. The point here is to make it clear to the kid that hard work is worthy of appreciation even if the results do not turn out as intended.
Teach the Kid to Deal with Feelings
The oversensitive kids need to understand how to put their feelings into words and learn the right ways to cope up with those emotions. These children often act out the way they feel and as a parent, you need to train him/her to verbalize each feeling with words rather than actions. Having a name associated with each emotion that the kid is dealing with help in improving his/her communications with you and also in performing better in stressful social situations.
Utilize the Logical Consequences
Even a sensitive child needs to understand the consequences of his/her actions and just because he/she reacts to every situation, does not mean you should let him/her escape the consequences. Deciding on consequences for a sensitive child might be easier said than done as you are constantly worried about not scaring the kid’s mind with your actions. Make the kid aware of his/her mistakes and instead of shaming the child or shouting at him/her, teach the child to make better choices in the future.
We, at the K.R. Mangalam School, understand the sensitive mental and emotional states of children which is again not the same for each child. Our teaching processes and disciplinary methods are centered onthis particular factor and that has even earned us the recognition of one of the Best CBSE School in Greater Noida 2017. Our nurturing and positive environment provides the perfect opportunity for the little ones to grow up to their full potential. We believe that every kid is special and needs to be treated with tender love and care so that they feel motivated and driven towards realizing their goals in life.