Sensitivity is a common trait for every human being.
We are all born sensitive to external stimuli, people and different environments.
However, and already from childhood, there are some traits when determining the degrees of sensitivity of a child, whose parents must be attentive to also raise them with greater empathy.
More information
One in five children in the world is highly sensitive and more reactive to stimuli
Are there really highly sensitive children?
Certainly, each child is a world and their emotional and sensitive universe is also. Much has been discussed and the research on these people called Highly Sensitive People (PAS) is very extensive, but the conclusion is that in these subjects there are degrees of stronger activation of the brain regions involved in knowledge and awareness. empathy, as recorded in a study carried out by neuroscientists, and published in the
National Institutes of Health
(NIH). In fact, and from the Association of People with High Sensitivity of Spain (APASE), they provide an orientation test carried out by Dr. Elaine N. Aron and based on the book:
The gift of High Sensitivity
, available to all interested parties.
and thus provide parents with a tool with which they can know if their child is highly sensitive.
The most recent report published by the
American Psycologial Assotiation
(APA) explores the degrees of sensitivity in PAS children, although throughout the scientific review in this regard, some common features are determined, which are: extreme sensory perception and their excessive ability to capture details and nuances, their high sensitivity to noise and external bustle, odors from the environment or bright lights, and the fact of being overwhelmed with the excess of information they receive that can lead to saturation physical or emotional, because the way you process that information in your mind is profound and you tend to reflect.
In addition, these girls and boys are closely linked to nature and animals, which come to calm them a lot.
Music can also be their escape route from the world, they cry often, and they worry a lot about getting into problems or conflicts, so they require a lot of tranquility.
Three Strategies for Raising a Highly Sensitive Child
Thus, and as says psychologist Amy Morin, author of the
bestseller: 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Do not Do
(13 things extremely strong parents do for their translation into Spanish),
among others,
l
to discipline It may become a bit more difficult for parents with a highly sensitive child to scold them or impose severe punishment on them, so it is important to find ways to properly guide these little ones. be then good strategies?
Accept their sensitivity and give them more downtime: “Emphasizing their strengths and gifts is a good start, as what may be too easy for another child is more difficult for a highly sensitive one. Teach them to deal with their emotions, as they need to learn to verbalize their feelings ”, says the expert. On the other hand, care should be taken to over-schedule them with extracurricular activities or social plans. "Downtime at home is very important for a sensitive child to feel safe and relax through quiet tasks like coloring, listening to music or reading," he adds.
Set limits and offer them rewards: He is a sensitive child, yes, but he also needs discipline and they must be prepared to deal with reality. “While it is important to be flexible, discipline helps teach children how to become responsible adults, because in the end they must learn and grow by experiencing the consequences of their actions, which is essential for healthy development,” Morin continues. The expert assures that sensitive children sometimes feel bad if they get into trouble, so a good tactic so that they do not feel too bad is to turn a rule into a reward. "For example, at lunchtime, instead of imposing, you are not going to eat the cake until you eat the food! We can turn it into if you eat the food, I'll give you the cake later!" the expert.
Teach them to solve problems: highly sensitive children often feel overwhelmed in certain situations or problems in which they can get stuck without knowing how to respond, so in these situations it is important that they know how to find some solutions that can relieve their stress and anxiety.
"Here parents should involve them and make them participate in conflict resolution and learn those skills, as it will be of great help to them to gain confidence and their spare capacity to handle all uncomfortable situations," Morin concludes.
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