Natural Awakenings Twin Cities December 2019

Being highly sensitive
is a personality type
and is defined by having
a finely tuned nervous
system.
Keep the Holidays
Happy for Your
Highly Sensitive Child
by Amy Vasterling
The holiday season is upon us and with it comes some extra needed attention in parenting,
especially if you have a highly sensitive child. Being highly sensitive is a personality
type and is defined by having a finely tuned nervous system. Because of this,
highly sensitives process information at a very deep level, and this often goes unseen. They
do this based on their high level of inner knowing. When something happens that doesn’t
align with what they know, they work to take in all aspects and process them quickly. This
can leave them overstimulated by large groups or loud noise; they need ample time to be
alone or to simply be quiet, which can be hard to come by during the holidays.
Here are a few strategies that will help keep your highly sensitive child happy during
the holidays:
n Make plans that consider the child. You are your child’s best advocate because
you know them best. Be cautioned not to let other family members make promises or
decisions for your young highly sensitives. Simply tell the adult that it’ll help everybody if
you have the child run things by you first.
n Trust that your child knows what’s right for them. Coach your child to make sound
choices about how much they can do. For example, if their cousin asks them to go skating, to
the mall, out for pizza and then to the winter parade, ask your child to tune in to see if that
feels like it will work for them. If the child is unsure yet wants to go, it may make it easier for
them to decide if they know that they will have time to sleep in the next morning and get a
late start with some quiet time (assuming that’s possible). It helps your child, when they’re still
young, to learn and respect their boundaries as a highly sensitive. For some children, it might
be harder to be at a noisy mall than others. Keep your child’s sensitive areas in mind so you
can help them make good choices, empowering them for a positive, enjoyable experience and
teaching them a life-long skill.
n If any one day becomes too much for your child, step in and offer them downtime.
Rub their feet by the fire; give them time to nap or sleep in late; encourage them to
be in nature alone (if they’re old enough);
allow time and space for them to spend
uninterrupted in a room to themselves,
reading, making some art or quietly playing.
These are all great ways for your child
to restore and be ready for more.
n Let your child have a say in plans;
it’s a good way to support their power of
choice. As stated earlier, allowing the child
to choose how much they can handle, with
you as their coach, can help them learn
a life-long lesson about managing their
energy and time for their future. When
making a family plan for the day, find spots
for moments of quiet solitude. Stop at a
library 30 minutes before meeting other
families at the restaurant; stop at the hotel
for a 30-minute rest period; or make a side
trip to a park for some free play or time in
nature for the child to have the freedom to
do as they need. Making a plan with some
of the child’s input can help greatly in having
a successful day and holiday experience.
n Holiday foods can become
excessive. Your highly sensitive does better
away from sugar and high carb foods.
Making sure they get plenty of fresh veggies
and fruits in between holiday favorites
is a good idea.
Holidays can also be exciting with
presents, visiting relatives, and time away
from home. Bring a comfort item for a
young highly sensitive to use as needed for
soothing and as a signal to you; when you
see them with the item, you know they
need time to restore. Remind older kids to
bring a journal or whatever other tool they
use to decompress.
These small steps can help all the festivities
of the holidays be well received by any
child, including your highly sensitive. Enjoy!
Amy Vasterling, an intuitive
and teacher of parents of
highly sensitive children,
works with individuals and
families throughout the Twin
Cities. To learn more, visit
AmyVasterling.com. See ad,
page 9.
December 2019
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