Discipline Strategies For Highly Sensitive Children
Disciplining children has never been easy, but for parents of highly sensitive children it can be especially challenging. It is important for parents to know some tips for successfully disciplining their children, even if they are highly sensitive and emotional.
Being a parent is one of the most rewarding jobs on the planet, and everyone who has that privilege is very lucky. However, it’s not always easy. Generally, the most rewarding jobs also require a lot of effort.
It is through this hard work that we grow as parents and individuals, and every now and then we are rewarded with moments that stop us, take care of our hearts and show that we are on the right path. This job can pose even more challenges for parents of a highly sensitive or highly emotional child.
What are highly sensitive children like?
A highly sensitive child is very aware and reacts quickly. She feels things on a deeper level. These children are incredibly empathetic and insightful about their surroundings and how they move through space.
When a highly sensitive child becomes frustrated, it is necessary to show him that it is okay to be nervous and that he can try again when he feels a little better.
This would probably work well for a child who is not very sensitive. However, for the child who feels things deeply, these words do not influence his feelings as much.
Now that we understand some of the behaviors and components of a highly sensitive child, can we consider what are the appropriate ways for parents to teach and discipline them? Next, we’ll talk about this in more detail.
How to Discipline Highly Sensitive Children
First, it is worth noting that being highly sensitive is not a disability or a syndrome, but a personality trait. In fact, being highly sensitive is a wonderful personality trait, as long as the child and parents understand how they can better organize themselves and take care of deep emotions and feelings.
eliminate the defensive
As parents, we must be aware of our own feelings. Because our children are separate from us, as they are individual beings with their own thoughts, feelings, and reactions, they sometimes (very often) get angry at the choices we make. There is no problem with that.
Therefore, as parents, we must be aware of this individuality and validate our children’s feelings. In doing this, it’s important not to get defensive, overwhelmed by our own emotions at the moment.
show empathy
When your child is upset and throwing a tantrum, it’s important to show empathy and understanding with words, rather than stepping back to calm him down.
When we walk away, we may be sending our children the message that they are not accepted. We need to recognize how cordially they feel and give them the opportunity to express their feelings.
Say it with love and sincerity, “I can see you’re upset with me, but I’m the kind of mom who really wants to hear from you. Talk about this feeling of annoyance with me” . Furthermore, this also needs to be done with empathy.
For example, with a three-year-old child, you might say, “Mommy can see you’re disappointed. You want to play longer, but now it’s bath time. You were upset with Mom. It’s hard to stop when we want more.”
By showing that we are by our children’s side both physically and emotionally, we are ensuring strong bonds with our children so that, in this way, they can trust us, even in the most difficult times.
managerial discipline
Once communication and emotional support have taken place, it is important to set boundaries and move forward. Follow-up shows your child consistent behavior he can trust. We need to be able to sincerely support our children, knowing they can do it.
When applying a consequence, you cannot do it out of context. We need to provide the narrative necessary for them to understand what they did, understand the consequences and learn from them.
We can also be open and communicative with our children. We can say that we have the difficult job of saying “no”. This job is difficult because it bothers someone we love. But we say “no” because our job is to keep our kids safe by helping them learn.
