How to deal with your hypersensitive child

How to deal with your hypersensitive child

Raising a very sensitive child is not an easy thing if we keep the benchmarks of so-called “classic” parenting. These children do not react in the same way to their environment, they are more aware of it and tend to be affected personally very quickly, by things that may seem trivial to us but which are not for them. If your child is hypersensitive, you should know that this is not a problem to be fixed or treated.. By helping him to turn his hypersensitivity into a strength and by teaching him the tools to best accompany him, you will contribute to making him happy and fulfilled. The good news is that there are many ways to help your child manage their hypersensitivity so they can live a happy and fulfilling life.

Understand the basics of the hyperactive or hypersensitive child To successfully support a hypersensitive child, it is essential to understand its main basic characteristics. According to Elaine Aron, clinical psychologist specializing in hypersensitivity, it is a different, more intense and finer way of perceiving and processing information. This explains, for example, why hypersensitive children, also called ultrasensitive or highly sensitive, often ask a lot of questions: they need to understand things in depth. This is also the reason why they can be slow to make decisions and often seem shy. In fact, faced with choices or new situations, the hypersensitive child needs time to observe, analyze, before committing. This can lead to difficulty adapting to new environments, difficulty transitioning, being overwhelmed with emotions, or reacting strongly to negative feedback. Help your child focus If your child is hypersensitive, it’s important to understand that he’s probably very aware of his surroundings. This can be a challenge for him in the classroom, where he has to process a lot of different stimuli. To help your child focus on what’s relevant, you can use a technique called “focusing” to filter out extraneous stimuli and focus on the task at hand. Plan ahead The first step in helping your child is to plan ahead. It may be difficult, but it is a task that must be accomplished. Your hypersensitive child will need special strategies to deal with situations in which they feel overstimulated and overwhelmed. This could be, for example, going to a large shopping center or a crowded restaurant, attending a birthday party with many guests or staying too long in a noisy environment. You will need to teach your child how to avoid overstimulation and how to deal with it when it occurs.

Take the time to play You can help your child manage his hypersensitivity by taking the time to play with him at the end of each day. This will allow him to release his energy, his emotions and reduce his stress. You can play a game like Twisting, dancing or simply running outside can be good ways to release the emotions accumulated during the day while having fun. Putting your feelings into words Even more than others, hypersensitive children need to feel understood and reassured. Even more than others, hypersensitive children need help to put their emotions into words to better tame them. It is a question of not inhibiting their feelings but of allowing them to express it clearly so that they are not anxious to feel what they feel and not overreact! So help him to express his emotions through words, this could help him to evacuate the overflow of emotions. The idea is not to feel sorry for him, but to show him that you understand how he feels. Likewise, if he gets upset or is hurt by a remark you make to him, try to explain the situation to him in simple, age-appropriate words, be reassuring and tell him that you understand his grief or anger. In fact, her children show great emotional intelligence that you can value. You can explain to him to also read books showing him that his sensitivity can also be a strength: being more receptive than the average, the hypersensitive child is generally more attentive to others, and is quite capable of using this sensitivity to develop their artistic creativity, for example, build rich and deep relationships with others and develop a great ability to listen. Finally, artistic activities (drawing, painting, singing, etc.) or sports (martial arts, dance, team sports, etc.) can teach him to manage his stress and help him express his feelings.