Is my kid sensitive? Sometimes it can be hard to tell...
Sometimes it can be hard to tell what is "sensitivity" and what isn't
When I talk to parents, they are often not sure whether their child is “sensitive” or not. Is it sensitivity, or just typical kid behavior??
Sensitivity looks differently as kids grow, and children will be “sensitive” in different ways, so sometimes it can be hard to know what's sensitivity, and what's just typical kid behavior.
Some clues I have found repeated again and again in sensitive children are:
Sensitive kids may:
- appear shy in new situations/with new people
- be less flexible
- be more anxious (especially around changes)
- hate being rushed
- be perfectionists
- blame others when disappointed/embarrassed
- have extreme tantrums in response to ‘minor’ issues
- appear to be ‘in their own world’ at times
- bottle up feelings
- shut down in response to strong emotions
- be over-sensitive to perceived criticism
- have difficulty making decisions
Many of these behaviors are because sensitive kids feel emotions intensely. What looks ‘minor’ from the outside is, in fact, felt very deeply by a sensitive child.
Many of the misunderstandings sensitive kids and parents have is this mismatch where the parent sees a giant overreaction in response to a minor problem.
Helping to understand how truly MAJOR this feels for the sensitive child is the first step to greater understanding.
Your child wouldn’t make a big deal out of it if it only felt minor to them!
If you would like some help supporting your sensitive child, please message me and we will set up a time for a free phone call. Life is hard enough without feeling like your child is on the wrong path emotionally.
