Helping Your Highly Sensitive Children with Transitions

Transitions

Most highly sensitive children struggle significantly with transitions, even good ones. Some examples of transitions are: ending the weekend and starting the week, ending the school year to starting the summer, ending a regular day to starting a vacation or ending one school and starting a new one (e.g., elementary school to middle school). As adults, we know that life is all about transitions and being flexible. So it’s important that we help our highly sensitive children understand that being flexible is an invaluable life skill.

3 Things to Help Your Child With Transitions

Here are 3 things you can do to help your child with transitions.

1. Practice Flexibility

Many of the children I work with, have a difficult time when parents have to run an extra errand or stop by the store unexpectedly (transitions). One of my favorite activities to use with children when teaching this concept is to use a pipe cleaner and a popsicle stick. First, I give them a popsicle stick and tell them to break it. Then, I give them a pipe cleaner. We take turns making shapes out of them. This gives me the opportunity to talk to them about areas that are hard for them to be flexible. I then have them take the pipe cleaner with them. I have them put it in their pocket or the car. The next time something comes up that they weren’t expecting, they can pull out the pipe cleaner. Their parents can remind them that this is an opportunity to “practice flexibility.”

2. Let me know if you get stuck

This is perhaps one of my favorite phrases to use with highly sensitive children. They often need a good challenge but are overwhelmed by it easily. Using this phrase allows them to try to accomplish the task on their own. Also they know I’m nearby if they need help. This gives them a chance to use their words to ask for help. What I mean by this is that when their brains go “offline” (see the Brain Hand video), sometimes it’s difficult for them to communicate what is happening and they shut down.

3. Expectations vs. Reality

This past weekend my oldest son, planned a birthday party for himself. Leading up to the party, he talked to my husband and me about his plans. We tried our best to help him mentally prepare for things that could potentially be disappointing. He wanted to have his party outside. We knew there would be a possibility for rain (it rained all day). He would have to move the party to the garage. (We had just finished an entire downstairs remodel on the house and he was one of the reasons we couldn’t have nice things until now!). We did our best to talk through his expectations of the party and what might happen in reality so that he could be prepared and hopefully enjoy his party. He did experience some disappointments but overall the party went very well. Everyone had a great time.

Summary

Remember, not all highly sensitive people are affected by the same things. It’s important to get to know your child’s sensitives (and your own) so that you can continue to parent your highly sensitive child like a rock star!

Peace Family Counseling

I hope this helps you implement practical ways you can help your highly sensitive child manage transitions. If you would like more support in parenting your highly sensitive child, please feel to contact us. If you are feeling burned out, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/loss, marriage/relationship issues, please feel free to contact us here. We’d be happy to hear what is happening.

We could help you find the right counselor to help you feel better quickly. You can also head over to our website to read our bios and request a specific therapist. Our physical office is located in Greenwood, Indiana and we offer teletherapy to anyone in the state of Indiana.