Back to school can be challenging for highly sensitive kids
It’s “back to school.” In a pandemic. Again.
Your highly sensitive child is going to school--maybe a new school, a first school, or maybe the same school they know and love.
Either way, your highly sensitive child doesn’t always do well with new people, transitions, change. Maybe there's separation anxiety. Fears. Hesitancy.
Oh yeah, and there's also a constantly changing, potentially life-threatening, global pandemic.
The parent of the highly sensitive child always walks a tough line. How to hold space for our child’s Bravery and Adaptability, while neither pushing too hard nor coddling?
If we were highly sensitive as children, and grew up seeing that as a weakness, we may get extra triggered by our child’s sensitive nature.
We may alternate between rushing our child through their fear—“It’s fine, there’s nothing to worry about,” and over-protecting, sending our child the indirect message, “I don’t think you can handle it.”
Understandably, we may long for a more easy-going child. Both because we believe it would make our life easier. And because we believe it would make our child's life easier.
I see you, parents of sensitive children, about to head to school. I hold space for your feelings. Your child is braver than they know, and you will get through this transition together.
If this resonates, we should talk. I support thoughtful parents to support their brave, thoughtful kids, highly-sensitive, or not.
