10 Signs of High Sensitivity in Children
Does your child feels everything more intensely than other kids?
If this sounds like your child, you’re not alone.
Kids who are highly sensitive experience everything more deeply.
This trait, sensory processing sensitivity, is present in 15-20% of children.
If this sounds like your child, they likely have bigger feelings than other children, which can cause power struggles and meltdowns.
How do you know if your child is highly sensitive? Here is a checklist with 10 common signs a child might be highly sensitive.
1.) Strong Reactions to Sensory Stimuli
Does your child struggle with loud noises, bright lights, or scratchy fabrics more than other kids?
2.) Deep Emotional Responses
Does your child cry more easily or feel big emotions like sadness, anger, or joy more intensely than other kids?
3.) Overwhelm in Crowds or Busy Places
Does your child gets anxious or overstimulated in crowded areas like malls or parties?
4.) Takes Criticism Deeply
Does your child get deeply affected by a simple correction or criticism?
5.) Empathy for Others
Does your child often pick up on other people's emotions and feel them deeply?
6.) Struggles with Change
Does your child struggle with new situations or transitions, like starting a new school?
7.) Needs Alone Time to Recharge
Does your child need quiet time alone to decompress and feel calm after a busy day?
8.) Notice Small Details
Does your child often pick up little things others might miss, like a slight change in your mood or a small decoration in a room?
9.) Perfectionism
Does your child have high standards for themselves and others, and get frustrated if things don’t go perfectly?
10.) Intense Focus
Does your child have a tendency to get fully absorbed and focus deeply on a task or subject?
Do any of these sound like your child? Do all of them sound like your child?
High sensitivity is a strength.
But it can also cause challenges, especially when children need more support, or they don’t yet have the skills they need to navigate challenges.
If your child is struggling right now, I’d love to help your family create more peace and harmony.
You can schedule a call with me using the scheduling link above, and I can help with specific advice for your child and your family.
There’s something I’ve been noticing lately. Parents reach out. They start the conversation. They open the door to getting support. And then… hesitation. Not because they don’t care. Not because they don’t think this could help. But because something in them says: “Maybe now’s not the right time.” If that’s you, I want you to know—this is incredibly common. And it makes so much sense. Why It Feels So Hard to Start The parents I work with are thoughtful, committed, and deeply invested in their children. They are not avoiding the problem. They are overwhelmed. They’re already carrying so much: big emotions (their child’s and their own) daily power struggles constant second-guessing the quiet worry that they’re getting it wrong So when something new enters the picture—even something supportive—it can feel like: one more thing they don’t have the capacity for. Even if part of them knows it could help. The Part No One Says Out Loud Here’s the piece that often goes unspoken: Waiting doesn’t actually reduce the overwhelm. It usually just stretches it out. The same hard moments keep happening. The same patterns keep repeating. The same end-of-day feeling returns: “I don’t want to keep doing it like this.” It’s not just the idea of change that feels exhausting. It’s the experience of being stuck. A Different Way to Think About “Starting” A lot of parents think starting means: more effort more time more pressure But that’s not actually what support is meant to feel like. Starting isn’t about suddenly having more energy. It’s about not doing this alone anymore. It’s having someone: help you think clearly again understand your child in a deeper way guide you through the moments that currently feel overwhelming hold steady when things feel hard And often, that’s where the first sense of relief comes in. Not after everything is fixed. But the moment you realize: “I don’t have to carry this by myself anymore.” You Don’t Have to Wait Until It Gets Worse There’s a belief many parents carry—quietly—that they should wait. Wait until things are more serious. Wait until they feel more ready. Wait until they have more time or energy. But support isn’t something you earn by reaching a breaking point. You’re allowed to get help: in the middle of the struggle in the middle of the uncertainty in the middle of the hard days Not just when things fall apart. If You’re In That In-Between Space If part of you is thinking: “Something needs to change…” and another part of you feels hesitant… you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re human. And you don’t have to force yourself into a big decision today. But you might gently consider this: What if starting isn’t adding more to your plate… but finally taking something off of it? A Gentle Next Step If you’ve been circling the idea of getting support—going back and forth, telling yourself “maybe later”—this is just a gentle invitation. You don’t have to wait until things get worse. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. You’re allowed to get support now. If you want to talk it through, you can always reach out or schedule a call. No pressure—just a conversation about what might actually help. 🤍
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