How to raise a highly sensitive child
It is not easy to educate a highly sensitive child, but with these guidelines and tips you can make them happy.
Discipline is essential to raise healthy children, on the other hand, how can you educate a child who feels things more sensitively than any other child? There is nothing wrong with being sensitive, in fact you will be more empathetic and compassionate almost naturally. Raising a sensitive child can be challenging for parents. Emotionally sensitive children are easily overwhelmed. They cry often, worry about getting into trouble frequently, and require a great deal of reassurance.
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HOW IS THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE CHILD OR PAS CHILD
Highly sensitive children or PAS (Highly Sensitive People) are not only emotionally sensitive, they can also be so to anything that triggers their senses. Any loud noise, bright lights, or textures. They can fear large crowds and fight to face any kind of change.
While some people think that sensitive children are just shy, there is much more to it. Highly sensitive children feel every emotion very intensely. That means they are likely to feel over-excited, angry, and very easily scared. Consequently, highly sensitive children hesitate to try new things and struggle to deal with frustration. When they interact with their peers they may suffer and feel bad about themselves, when they tease because they cry easily or because they get angry too soon.
While strict discipline can help some children change their behavior, harsher punishments are likely to cause more problems with highly sensitive children. Therefore, it is important to find ways to nurture and guide a highly sensitive child who may be struggling to thrive in a less sensitive world that does not understand them. If you don’t know how to raise your highly sensitive child, read on.
EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR HIGHLY SENSITIVE CHILDREN
Accept their sensitivity
If your child is sensitive, don’t try to change him. Instead of seeing him as a weak child, emphasize his strengths. Recognize that not everything is easy for a child and some things can be more difficult for PAS children. So instead of dissuading him from experiencing great feelings, focus on teaching him to handle his emotions in a socially appropriate way.
When you feel frustrated and wish your child was less sensitive, keep in mind that it is this same sensitivity that often leads these same children to be extremely compassionate and kind to others.
Let me do nothing
Sensitive children can easily become overstimulated with the environment. In this sense, it is important to avoid excessive activities. You can create a ‘corner of peace’ in your home, with silent activities such as painting, listening to soft music, reading books, etc. You can encourage your child to use this corner whenever he feels some discomfort. Sometimes a little downtime is necessary for a sensitive child to recharge his emotional batteries.
That limits and rules are not lacking
Although it might be tempting to inflict the rules to avoid upsetting a highly sensitive child, constant exceptions to the rules will not be helpful in the long run. You may be tempted to overlook behavior that would discipline a less sensitive child, simply to keep the peace. You need to be flexible, but remember that discipline is necessary to teach children to be responsible adults. If your parenting style is too permissive, you are not preparing your child for the real world.
Praise their efforts
He needs your encouragement even when he’s not successful. But remember that you should not praise him too much because then he will realize that it is not a real compliment and then his self-esteem will suffer. The goal is to praise a child’s efforts rather than the results of those efforts. It’s especially important to give praise when your child is telling the truth. Sensitive children tend to lie to avoid problems. Therefore, it is important to praise a child for being honest, especially if his honesty does him no favors.
Positive consequences as rewards
Sensitive kids sometimes feel bad if they “get in trouble,” so simply changing the way you say things can make it a reward. Instead of saying, “You can’t have dessert unless you eat all of dinner,” say, “If you eat all of dinner, you can earn dessert!”
You can have a scorecard or a reward system to help your child get motivated every time they perform well. If he doesn’t get his reward, you need to motivate him to get it next time.
Putting words to emotions
Highly sensitive children need to learn to verbally express their feelings and also to learn appropriate ways to deal with those feelings. You will have to work emotional education with your children and learn to identify and treat uncomfortable feelings in a socially acceptable way.
They need to learn to identify their feelings through words. So when you feel an emotion you will know exactly how it feels and what word identifies it. This way you can communicate better and you can better understand your child at all times.
Conflict resolution skills
Conflict resolution skills are necessary in life, and this will make a difference in your development. Teach your child step-by-step instructions for solving problems and thus he will have enough capacity to handle uncomfortable situations, which he will surely have throughout his life (and is necessary for good personal growth).
Consequences of your actions
Like any other child, highly sensitive children also need negative consequences to learn and know how to improve their behavior . Just because a child cries does not mean that you should avoid the negative or natural consequences of their behavior. If you have consequences you can learn great lessons in life, simply the consequences should not be punishments. Punishments are an ineffective way to educate children in addition to being punitive, children will feel resentment and resentment towards punishments , but with flexible consequences they can feel cooperative in changing behavior.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.