A Wee HSP Child's Daily Grind

Ever since I can recall, I have been sensitive, I cannot remember being anything but sensitive. I'm sensitive to smell, touch, noise, lights, physical action and so forth. Growing up as a wee HSP child was truly a challenge. It was exacerbated by the fact that I was unaware of my gift as a HSP, I was made to think that something was drastically wrong with me, that I was abnormal, different and not made to survive in a world dictated by the expression "survival of the fittest". Tonight I would like to concentrate on the HSP child's dilemmas through the eyes of a bespectacled lad - 

A HSP child feels everything that's going on around him/her. He/she feels pain, anxiety, sorrow, depression for more deeply than a non-HSP. This is also true for those feelings on the other end of the spectrum - Happiness, joy, bliss. A HSP child is still a child, albeit with such advanced sensory perceptions, thereby it does become extremely arduous for the wee lad/lass to put up with such emotions. Parents should be well aware of their kids' character so as to not cause unnecessary suffering for a HSP child. 

A HSP child needs a lot of encouragement, primarily because HSP children don't often believe in their own abilities and talents. They often tend to think that their talents aren't worth a dime. We do live in a society which is slowly but surely embracing the "Caveman ideology", whence the stronger you are, the better prospects there are of ensuring your survival. Thereby, it is imperative that a HSP child's parents guide him/her with love and encouragement, not through condemnation. 

A HSP child can be introverted or extroverted. I was the former. As an introverted HSP child (I still am, an interoverted adult now, by the way), I did face a lot of quandaries in coming to terms with attending parties and functions. An introverted HSP child would rather be to him/herself in the corner with a book rather than play with other children. Introverted HSP kids would rather speak only when needed than engage in superfluous banter. Parents with introverted HSP kids should understand that by attempting to "change" them, they are essentially destroying the very being of such kids. 

A HSP child requires a lot of protection, especially from bullies at school. A HSP child will never raise his/her fist for any reason, preferring to diffuse the situation through peace and harmony or backing into a corner. It would be advisable to home-school HSP kids because they do tend to become extremely depressed in large classrooms and especially on the playground. Most parents would essentially love to "reduce" the level of sensitivity found in their HSP kids, but this would be as futile as trying to train a fish to breathe out of water and quite dangerous as well! 

HSP children are prone to sudden downward spirals of emotions and sudden spikes as well, all within a few hours to a day or longer. HSP children do tend to find it hard discerning between emotions, whether they are affected by what they have seen on the telly or due to an issue resonating from within or if they are drawing the emotions of others around them. HSP children often suffer the most when their parents are not on talking terms with each other, therefore it is important that parents cultivate a healthy relationship with each other. 

The above are a few pointers drawn through my own experiences as a HSP child. Being HSP is a source of pride and joy for me, something I would never want to change and I hope someday that any kids I would have, will be HSP as well. 

Do understand that there are few to no differences between a HSP child and a HSP adult, except for the fact that the latter are far more well read and experienced in dealing with trials and challenges than the former. However, having said that, they still remain HSP and they still need to retreat into their sacred and personal cocoon every night. 

Dear Parents, do be glad if you happen to have a HSP child! A HSP child is intuitive, caring, empathetic, loving, loyal and above all, extremely devoted to you, come what may. If you do have a HSP child or think you do, I would strongly suggest you read Elaine Aron's "The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them", in order to learn more about the beauty, privilege and honour of having a wee HSP lad/lass.

My darling brothers and sisters, I shall conclude for today. Tomorrow, I hope to write on the challenges faced by HSP adults, though very succinctly, due to personal time constraints. 

I love you all so much! God bless you!