High sensitivity is a personality trait present in two out of ten people, regardless of their sex. According to the Spanish Association of People with High Sensitivity (APASE), it is a hereditary characteristic that implies a further development of the neuro-sensory system, which makes people with this quality "feel" (in the broadest sense of the word) more intensely.
When we talk about highly sensitive children, we mean children who perceive with great intensity a lot of stimuli (visual, sensory, auditory ...), something that can often overwhelm them and generate anxiety. If you have a child with high sensitivity, we give you some keys that could help you in your day to day.
Understand you, in order to help you
The concern that parents of children with high sensitivity usually express is not knowing how to attend to them or comfort them before certain feelings that can overwhelm them. That is why it is so important to understand how these children see life, and what leads them to act and feel the way they do it.
In Babies and more "My son is very intense": 11 testimonies of mothers who tell us about their children's day-to-day life with high sensitivityThe American psychologist Elaine Aron, was the one who discovered this trait in 1995, and focused all her research on knowing how highly sensitive people are. According to her, they meet these four characteristics:
They are especially thoughtful. and process the information they receive very intensely and deeply. This leads them to go around the issues a lot before making a decision, since they value all possible options.
They feel overstimulated when they have to process a lot of information at the same time. In addition, due to their fine neuro-sensory system they have a special ability to detect details of the environment, which surely go unnoticed to other people.
They live life with a lot of emotionality and express all their emotions in an exaggerated way, from happiness to sadness or anger.
They have a high sensitivity, that is, they get to perceive very intensely through the five senses. For this reason, they are children to whom certain noises, lights, flavors, smells and touch cause rejection, and they manifest it with tears, discomfort and rejection
Help you get to know each other better
Although the high sensitivity trait was discovered in 1995, it is still little known today, and often, Highly sensitive children feel frustrated and misunderstood because not even they understand what happens to them.
In Babies and more, children's tantrums are their way of explaining their problems: don't ignore themTherefore, once the parents have done the exercise of understanding our children, we it will be easier to explain how they areWhy do they feel how they feel, and why do they sometimes look different from other people? It is not that they have more developed senses than others, but that their neuro-sensory system processes information differently.
Teach him to express his emotions
Any child should receive a proper emotional education from birth, to help name their emotions, channel them and live with them. But this point becomes more relevant when we talk about children with high sensitivity, since it has often been observed that at an early age, explode in tantrums before saturation caused by overexcitation.
That is why it is so important to help them understand their emotions and provide them with the necessary tools to learn to express and manage them in a healthy way.
In Babies and more Your child needs to be sad, but also your help to know how to manage it No labels or judgments
And just as we must provide our children with tools to manage what they feel, it is also essential that we respect their feelings, and let's not penalize, minimize or take away your emotions.
So, let's run away from labels like "exaggerated", "theatrical"or"weeping", that in addition to being disrespectful to the child, they will make you feel ashamed for being as it is. And of course let's not fall into the error of telling them that "It's not for much", because for them what has triggered their feeling does matter.
In Babies and more Why you should stop telling your children "nothing happens" when they cry Listen and support him
Any of us need support and understanding when we go through a bad time, but children with high sensitivity need to be given special attention. Spending our time to listen actively, without judgments or labels is sometimes enough, because in most cases the only thing they will seek is to express themselves freely and feel clothed.
Physical contact
Often, when parents discover that they have a child with high sensitivity, they immediately spin this characteristic to the high demand they presented as babies. And it is that in many occasions both concepts are united.
High sensitivity manifests from birth, and when the baby is overexcited and especially sensitive, it tends to need more physical contact to feel safe. As the child grows older, physical contact will continue to be equally important to feel calm, protected and confident.
In Babies and more How is a baby in high emotional demand?Know the situations that generate stress
It might be complicated to get to know all the situations that can cause stress to a child with high sensitivity, since each person is unique, in addition to the fact that situations may change over time. But, according to experts, there are a number of conditions that are usually more or less common to all highly sensitive people:
- The dream
- Excess artificial light
- The fatigue
- The smells
- Hunger and thirst
In Babies and more What are the symptoms of anxiety in children?Take certain measures
Once we have identified those situations that overstimulate or stress especially the child with high sensitivity, we must do everything possible to avoid them, or at least minimize them.
APASE published a few months ago a talk by psychologist Elaine Aron, explaining the importance of change the lifestyle of highly sensitive people, to live in a more relaxed and happy way. Thus, the expert recommends:
- Minimize the level of daily stress
- Reduce sensory overstimulation
- Search daily relaxing moments
- Get enough rest
Another type of measures that we can adopt is to avoid crowded sites or spend a lot of time in shopping centers, since most children with high sensitivity excess artificial light is very annoying. Instead, it is recommended to spend more time outdoors, in contact with nature or even practicing soft sports.
It is also advisable to avoid the use of products with a strong smell, and try to dress them with clothes that are not very tight or have seams that rub the skin, as well as cut the inner labels before putting on the garment.
Elaine also recommends pay attention to family vacationsWell, a particularly active holiday, in which we do not stop sightseeing or looking for leisure plans, can overstimulate people with high sensitivity.
In Babies and more11 unforgettable trips to do with children at ChristmasIn general, relaxation and mindfulness is usually an excellent help for these childrenWell, being able to close your eyes and disconnect for a few minutes from the stimuli around you, will help you calm down. Other children prefer to use art (in its different manifestations) as an escape route.
Respect your time alone
As explained by the psychologist, Elaine Aron, "It is necessary that people with high sensitivity can spend time alone, to process in silence and tranquility, all the information that comes to them."
In the case of children the same thing can happen. So if you detect that your child needs to have a time a day alone, be patient, and respect his time, his silence and his space, it will certainly be very beneficial for him.
Children with high sensitivity have a special gift, and this trait can greatly enrich their lives. That is why it is so important to take advantage of their qualities, and offer them all the support and understanding they need.Photos | iStock
