Tucson International Academy

We Make College Come True

Informative

10 Tips for Healthy Families

healthy families
Healthy families eat nutritious meals together

When you think of healthy families, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s happy children who love to play outside and eat nutritious meals with their parents. Or perhaps a healthy family is one where the members have a strong bond and spend quality time together. Everyone may have different ideas of what a healthy family looks like. Whatever your definition is, it’s important that you learn how to best support and nurture your family for yourself and your loved ones.

If you want to create a healthy family, here are some tips to help you get started:

Tip 1: Eat meals together as a family.

One of the best ways for families to bond is by eating meals together. Everyone can enjoy nutritious meals from the comfort of their own homes while spending quality time with one another. You can all participate in meaningful discussions while you eat and enjoy your meals together as a family.

Tip 2: Go for walks or play outside together.

Another great way for families to bond is by going on walks or playing outside together. This is a great way to get some exercise and spend time together. You can explore your neighborhood, go to a park, or play games.

Tip 3: Limit screen time.

One of the biggest challenges for families is limiting screen time. This means setting limits on how much time everyone spends in front of a TV screen, computer, tablet, or smartphone. To limit screen time for healthy families, decide on an amount of time per day or week that is best for your family and stick to it.

Tip 4: Get enough sleep.

All members of healthy families need to get enough sleep. Everyone needs beneficial amounts of sleep to function properly and feel rested throughout the day. Not getting enough sleep can affect your mood.  Also, you’re less likely to exercise if you’re not well-rested. You can help your family get their best amounts of sleep by setting a bedtime for everyone.

Tip 5: Make healthy habits fun.

Healthy families make healthy habits fun. You can do this by setting goals together and celebrating everyone’s accomplishments when the goal is met. For example, families can set goals to go on walks together at least three times a week. When the goal is met, everyone celebrates by going out to eat.

Tip 6: Make gratitude part of your routine.

Another beneficial habit families can practice is gratitude. Gratitude means appreciating what you have and being thankful for the good in your life. Families can make gratitude a part of their daily routine by writing down something they are thankful for each day or saying one thing they are grateful for out loud to one another.

Tip 7: Spend quality time together.

Families make sure to spend quality time together. This means being present and interacting with one another during family activities and events. Turn off your devices and put away distractions so you can focus on each other.

Tip 8: Have healthy discussions.

Families have stimulating discussions. This means talking respectfully even when topics are controversial or sensitive. Families know how to disagree with one another in constructive ways and resolve disagreements without hurting each other’s feelings.

Tip 9: Always give forgiveness.

Forgiveness is an important value to healthy families. If someone in your family makes a mistake, they know how to apologize and resolve any conflicts. Without holding grudges or resentments, families resolve problems in compassionate ways so that everyone feels heard and appreciated.

Tip 10: Make snack time healthy.

Make sure to have nutritious snacks. This means providing healthy options like fruits and vegetables instead of unhealthy snacks like candy and chips.

These healthy habits can help you create a great family environment. If you follow these steps, your family can be healthier and happier together. If you’re struggling to know where to begin, start by setting goals together. Lead by example for your children. The best time to start your healthy habits is today!

Enroll Today at TIA!

 

 

How Much Screen Time is Too Much for Your Child?

Children these days are constantly in front of electronic devices. They may be playing games, watching TV, working on a computer, or browsing social media. It can be hard to keep them off devices when it’s so easy for them to get hooked. But is screen time bad? How much is too much?

There are many benefits to the various devices we use daily. Children can learn through educational videos and games. They can build social connections with friends. Downtime spent on various devices can be therapeutic for children who are struggling with anxiety or depression.

But too much screen time can also have negative effects. It can lead to many issues for your child. It’s important to know what those issues are so that you can recognize them if they occur. Some of those problems can include:

Obesity

Children who spend a lot of time sitting in front of screens are more likely to be overweight. If they’re not getting the exercise they need and possibly filling up on unhealthy snacks at the same time, they can gain too much weight. This can lead to other health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Decreased Grades

Studies have shown that children who spend six hours or more a day watching TV and playing video games have lower reading, math, and overall grades.

Increased Aggression or Depression

Too much time in front of electronic devices can also increase aggression and depression in children. Studies have shown that this can affect how your child views themselves. If your child has a negative self-view, they may develop higher levels of aggressive behavior. They also may become depressed, which can lead to self-harming behavior.

Behavioral problems

Behavioral problems can show up as your child may become more hyperactive or defiant. They may also have a harder time paying attention in school.

Decreased Social Interaction

Too much time on electronic devices can also lead to decreased social interactions for your child. It takes away from family time and can interfere with a child’s ability to play without an electronic distraction.

So How Much is Too Much?

It really depends on your child and their individual needs. If your child is spending a lot of their time in front of a screen and you start to notice behavior problems or health issues, then this may be an issue.

How to Set Screen Time Rules

But screen time isn’t all bad. There can be many benefits. It’s also not realistic for your child to live without electronic devices in today’s world. Luckily, there are ways you can regulate how much time your child is getting.

    • Set electronic device-free times during the day. You can schedule times in your home when all devices are put away or turned off. These could be during meals, before bedtime, or any other time of the day that you feel is necessary.
    • Limit device time to two hours or less each day. You can set time limits that are appropriate for your child based on their age and needs.
    • Choose appropriate device activities for your child. This could be screen time that is educational, social, or therapeutic.
    • Monitor your child’s electronic device use. You should keep track of your child’s screen time use to make sure they’re not going over the limits you’ve set.
    • Make sure the content is appropriate.

Screen time can have both positive and negative effects on children. The key is in managing your child’s time to be more beneficial than harmful. Talk to your child about this. Set up rules. Choosing helpful and positive activities will make sure they’re getting the most out of their screen time.

Enroll Today at TIA!

What is Observational Learning & How it Affects Your Child

Have you ever watched a video on YouTube to learn how to do something? Although not everyone is familiar with it by name, we all have experience with observational learning. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Learning new things by watching others do something. This ultimately allows us to build new skills and abilities, all thanks to observation.

There are four types of learning styles: Visual (observational), listening (auditory), kinesthetic (hands-on), reading/writing. Although we can engage in observational learning at any stage during our life, it starts with young children. They say kids are like sponges, soaking up what they see. This is because the act of learning through watching is the main part of the socialization process. For example, when your child learns how they should respond to other people, they base this on the behaviors they see. They’re looking at their family, friends, and teachers to see how they should interact with others.

The 4 Stages of Observational Learning

This learning process happens over four stages. Motivational or social reasoning should be involved in the situation. This variable will influence whether your child will decide to try what they see or avoid that behavior in the future.

Example: Your child watches their parent smoke every day. They may imitate that action or try it themselves.

Who is Modeling This Type of Learning to Them

Your child is learning these things from a model. We aren’t talking about a fashion model (unless your child wants to be a fashion model, then we are talking about them). But you ask, what makes someone a model for your child? A model for a child is someone they look up to, admire, a family member, someone famous, or someone that rewards them for learning.

Here are the four stages of observational learning:

    1. Attention

Your child needs to be in the correct mindset. They must have enough energy to focus on the behavior that the other person is performing. Your child must also be able to watch the other person for enough time. Otherwise, they won’t likely understand what they’re doing.

Example: Your toddler watches you dust the house with a cloth or duster every week. You may see them wiping down surfaces of their toys or the furniture that they can reach with a washcloth.

    1. Retention

Next, retention will happen if your child is focused on the other person who is demonstrating. To help learn, the information must be demonstrated in an easy-to-remember format.

Example: Your child watches you tie their shoes. They want to try themselves, so you show them one of the tried and true methods out there (bunny ears, bow, or cheerio being the most popular methods).

    1. Reproduction

If your child paid attention and remembers the information, they may be able to do the action they watched. Depending on your child, their ability to do what they observed can vary. Not every person can successfully imitate every action. Being able to focus and remember isn’t a guarantee that your child will be able to do what they watched either.

Example: Watching someone dive into a pool repeatedly doesn’t mean they can do it without trying multiple times. It will also take someone to give them pointers on how to do it correctly.

    1. Motivation

Once your child has learned a new behavior, they will need some motivation that pushes them to try it. If your child receives some reward for trying the behavior, it could motivate them. Alternately, if your child is punished for the behavior, it will discourage them from trying it.

Example: Your child sees one of their siblings get in trouble for hitting a friend. They learn that they shouldn’t hit people.

The Outcome

When your children engage in observational learning, there can be both good and bad outcomes.

The most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that context is essential to observational learning—whether we’re considering positive or negative behaviors. Children won’t simply imitate every behavior that they see. The context of the situation is critical. For example, the likelihood that a child learns a particular behavior through watching could depend upon who they’re watching. Also, if there’s parental involvement. Or who they are watching the behavior with.

As you can see, learning isn’t just about direct involvement in a particular behavior. Instead, some learning is subtle, such as when a person engages in observational learning.

Enroll Today at TIA!

Christmas Crafts for Kids Based on Favorite Holiday Movies

(Watch This, Do That)

Christmas craft ideas
Christmas craft ideas

For so many families, watching holiday movies together is an unbeatable festive tradition—it’s a good time for everyone, guaranteed. But what if you’re looking to cut down on screen time this season and get your kids involved in more hands-on activities? Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that you need to forget about your yearly Christmas movie marathon.

Next time you sit down to watch a favorite holiday film with your family, use this experience to inspire other activities you can introduce to your kids. First, take a closer look at the various themes, motifs, life lessons, and more from each of the Christmas movies you indulge in. Then, use these ideas to help create a unique Christmas craft project for you and your children.

Are you less than familiar with “watch this, do that”? In that case, here are a few movies and crafting ideas to get you started on this hands-on fun.

Christmas Crafts Inspired by 4 of Your Favorite Holiday Movies

  1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

First, let’s start with one of the most famous holiday season classics: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Despite being released in 1964, this film is just as enjoyable for today’s kids as it was for those of any prior generation.

Looking for the perfect Christmas crafts inspired by Rudolph? Here are a few to get you started:

  • Make reindeer treats.
  • Let your kids search for their own “misfit toy”—a toy or doll they haven’t played with in a while. Meanwhile, just think: What did they love about this toy, to begin with? Then, allow your kids to rediscover these feelings.
  • Using the “Silver and Gold” song to inspire your craft, make your very own metallic slime.

  1. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Another long-time classic of the holiday season, why not get your kids engaged with Christmas crafts based on A Charlie Brown Christmas? Here are some ideas:

  • In honor of the movie’s lesson about there is no “wrong” tree, allow your kids to build their very own—check out this cup tower challenge to craft a unique and unconventional Christmas tree of your own.
  • In a similar vein, maybe you’d rather create your own decorations for a tree. Charlie Brown Christmas ornaments are always an option, and they’re a fun craft to do with your children.
  • Do your kids want to learn to draw Snoopy and Charlie Brown? Here’s an excellent tutorial to get them started on this limited-screen activity.

  1. The Polar Express

Although it hasn’t been around for quite as long as the previous two movies, The Polar Express has really risen into the role of a go-to holiday classic. This unique and heart-warming film even combines digital animation and live-action film, letting the characters move realistically while preserving the magic of the story.

A few Christmas crafts and activities inspired by The Polar Express are:

  • Looking for something new to add to your holiday reading list? Consider picking up the book that inspired the film—The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.
  • Make Christmas cards that fit with the movie’s story and capture some of its whimsy.
  • There is a lot that we can all learn from the Lonely Boy and his story. Unfortunately, not every kid out there can spend their holiday season the same way. Encourage your kids to help those who are less fortunate by donating to a toy drive.

  1. Elf

There’s hardly a Christmas movie that’s more fun than Elf—it’s both lighthearted and packed with essential life lessons for your kids. For instance, it’s always okay to be yourself, no matter if you’re judged by other people. The film also shows children the value of taking significant risks and trying new things.

Some Christmas crafts and other activities inspired by Elf would be:

  • Wind down and get into the mood of the season with some holiday music. Consider putting on a holiday playlist and have a fun time dancing.
  • Make no-bake Buddy the Elf cookies, based on the lead character’s inventive (and very festive) spaghetti breakfast.

The Holiday Season is Here—Time for Christmas Crafts & Activities With Your Kids

If Christmas crafts aren’t already a part of your family’s holiday traditions, then why not change that? The possibilities are endless, and it’s always fun to take inspiration from some of the holiday films your kids already know and love.

Happy holidays, and have fun working on these screen-free and limited-screen activities with your children!

 

Enroll Today at TIA!

 

5 Reasons to Keep Holiday Traditions Alive for Kids

Decorating cookies is a fun family holiday tradition
Decorating cookies is a fun family holiday tradition.

It’s no secret that kids thrive on traditions. Whether it’s the nightly bedtime routine or a family movie night on Fridays, kids crave predictability and stability. With that in mind, it’s just as important to keep the traditions alive during the holidays. Holidays are a time of year that many people love. However, children sometimes tend to be more excited about the holiday season than adults. This is because they get to experience all the traditions that they have learned and look forward to all year long. From pumpkin patches, yummy treats, delicious turkey, and an annual visit from Santa, there is always something new and exciting that gets kids excited for the holidays each year. Here are 5 reasons why it’s important to keep your child’s favorite holiday traditions alive.

1. Holiday Celebrations Promote Quality Family Bonding and Life-Lasting Memories

The holiday season can be a great time for quality family bonding time. It can create life-lasting memories. Whether it’s baking cookies, decorating the house, opening presents, visiting family, everyone wearing the same kind of PJ’s, watching holiday movies together, creating memories around the holidays is a great way to strengthen family ties. It’s important for kids to spend time with their loved ones and create those memories that can last.

2. Preserving Family Values

A tradition is any activity or ceremony that has been repeated over the years and passed on from one generation to another. They are important because they help to pass down family values and beliefs from one generation to the next. Traditions also allow children the opportunity to learn more about their heritage and culture. For example, if it’s a tradition in your family to make homemade applesauce around the holidays every year, you can teach your child about this time-honored tradition. This helps you make memories of your own together and allow the tradition to be passed on to the next generation.

3. Kids Need a Sense of Security in Their Lives

In a child’s world, the holidays can be one of the few constants in their lives. For example, the anticipation and excitement leading up to Christmas morning is an experience that never gets old for many kids. They still get excited about what they will find under the tree. Kids need a sense of security in their lives because, without it, they feel like everything is out of control. It affects how well they do at school and how easily distracted they are when you try to have a conversation with them. But this holiday season, you can keep your traditions alive and provide the sense of security kids need to thrive.

4. Holiday Traditions Can Promote Positive Mental Health

Everyone wearing the same PJ's can be a fun family tradition.
Everyone wearing the same PJ’s can be a fun family tradition.

The holidays are a time of year when many people enjoy revisiting their childhood traditions. The nostalgia that comes with these rituals can be emotionally beneficial for adults. It is especially important to keep the tradition alive for kids.

Keeping holiday traditions alive in childhood can promote positive mental health because it provides an emotional anchor during times of change and transitions. Children have less experience with life than adults do. Therefore, they rely on what they know from past experiences to make sense of new situations. The familiarity associated with these festive moments offers comfort and reassurance not only to children but also to parents. Holiday rituals provide structure for family members’ schedules and expectations around the holidays.

They can also provide a sense of belonging and family connection. The rituals associated with the holidays can be a way for children to express themselves. Children are often very creative. Holiday crafts, decorations, and foods can be a way for them to express themselves.

5. The Holidays Can Teach Kids the Importance of Generosity

The holidays are a time for giving and receiving. They offer many opportunities to practice this skill. Kids might put together shoeboxes of gifts. They can raise money for charity. They can learn the joy of giving to those who need it most. This experience can teach them the value of charity and altruism. Therefore, it can help them develop into well-rounded individuals and responsible global citizens in their future adult lives.

When it comes to preserving holiday traditions, it’s important to keep these five reasons in mind as motivation to keep traditions alive. Learn to experience the holidays through your child’s eyes. Here is a list of some fun ideas for holiday traditions.

Enroll Today at TIA!

How Your Childhood Influences Your Parenting Style

What is your parenting style?
What is your parenting style?

Do you remember what it was like to be a child? You may think you have forgotten much of your childhood. You may believe you are making parenting decisions based on your own original ideas on how your children should be raised. However, everyone has been preparing for parenting without knowing it. The major childhood influences from your life growing up will affect your parenting style with your own kids.

What is Your Parenting Style?

Without a doubt, the way in which you were raised will influence how you choose to raise your children, whether or not it is intentional. You have your own values, morals, and opinions about how your children should be raised. But your upbringing could present some biases that are invisible to you. This may influence your parenting style.

Just as we all have our own unique history that shapes how we interact with people, the same is true for the life of parenting.

Expectations on Development and Milestones

Every child develops at a different rate and reaches milestones in their development when they are ready. Sometimes parents have certain expectations on what they think their child should be able to do at a certain age by a certain time based on their own personal development as a child.

For example, a parent might believe their child should be able to walk and talk by the same age they did. These milestones can easily become the barometer for how you judge your child’s development. They may not meet the milestones you expected. It’s important to recognize that each child is different. They will develop at their own rate. Removing this expectation can help you avoid disappointment and frustration for your child.

The Spectrum of Displaying Emotions

Children witness a varying display of emotions from their parents. This can differ from family to family.

For example, you may have been raised by parents who did not cry in front of their children. Now as a parent you do not cry in front of your child. However, the opposite might be true if your parents were very emotionally open with you and had no problem crying or expressing their feelings.

Another example, your parents may have argued or yelled at each other all the time. This was very sad and confusing for you to witness as a child. You decided you would never do this in front of your own kids one day. Now as a parent, you never argue in front of your kids and keep all your frustrations and anger inside. That isn’t healthy for you and your children think everything in your life is perfect when it isn’t. There needs to be a happy medium.

Emotional expression is a spectrum that goes from the extremes of no emotional expression to the other extreme of expressing all emotion and experiences. Everyone falls somewhere in between.

Personal Values Instilled From Your Childhood to Theirs

Every parent has their own set of values that they slowly instill in their children as they grow up. These values help to shape a child’s life and how they view the world.

For example, you may have grown up under parents who stressed the importance of a strong work ethic and saving money to reach financial goals. Because of this, your parents had you get a job when you turned 16. Then they had you open a savings account for college. If this was a positive experience for you, then you may do the same with your children. However, if this was a negative experience for you and you either found it difficult to find a job or if saving money for college was too hard, then you may avoid these same situations with your kids. Values are important to instill in your children. But it is also your job to make sure they are feasible for your child and their unique needs.

As you can see, your childhood and the way you were raised have a big impact on how you choose to parent your child. We are constantly shaping our children’s lives from our upbringing, whether we know it or not. By better understanding these connections and influences from our childhood, your parenting decisions can remove bias and develop a better understanding of their own personal values. Check out this article for more about 4 different parenting styles.

Enroll Today at TIA!

9 Life Skills You Should Teach Your Kids

9 Life Skills You Should Teach Your Kids
Basic cooking is an easy life skill to teach Kids

As a parent, one of your top priorities is to provide your child with all the life skills they’ll need, so they can navigate their adult lives, even after they’re no longer under your care. 

On one hand, this seems like a relatively straightforward task. However, on the other hand, it can be one of the most overwhelming duties that a parent will face. First, it can be difficult to determine what “life skills” even are. What skills are going to be the most vital to your child in the future? What should you be focusing on, exactly, as you help your child to build these fundamental skills? 

Although the number of potential “life skills” is substantial, and they can vary from child to child, there are some skills that everyone can benefit from mastering. Here are nine of those key skills that are important to teach to just about any kid.

9 Important Life Skills to Teach Children (By Age)

Skills to Teach Preschoolers

Some of the skills you’ll focus on with preschoolers will be performed independently, however, others will require help or supervision from an adult. As your child grows up, they will be able to continue refining these skills, until they can confidently perform them on their own.

1. Cleaning Up

Allow your child to begin cleaning up after themselves, in certain situations. For instance, you can ask your kid to put away and organize their toys after they’re done playing. 

2. Choosing Clothes or Outfits

Make sure your child understands how to dress appropriately, given the event or weather. You can even allow them to set out their own outfits each night, to wear to school the next day.

3. Setting the Table

By helping your child to set the table, you’re giving them a great chance to practice numbers, counting, and even symmetry. It’s also an opportunity for your child to develop their procedural and spatial memorization abilities. 

Skills to Teach Young Kids, Age Five to Seven

At this age, try to take a step back and allow your child to problem-solve, whenever possible. It can be tempting to step in and lend a hand, but five to seven-year-olds can benefit from learning and practicing some tasks independently. Plus, kids around this age are always eager to perform “grown-up” tasks, and this will show in their willingness to learn and develop skills.

4. Simple Cleaning Duties

Although they’re not ready to clean the whole house top to bottom, you can begin introducing your child to some basic cleaning tasks. For instance, teach them how to wipe down the sink, or how to sort the trash from the recycling.

5. Basic Cooking Skills

You’ll probably need to supervise some, but try involving your child in food preparation. Find ways to allow your kid to take part in preparing their own meals, or help out with family mealtime, whenever possible. 

Skills to Teach Older Kids

Finally, here are some more independent or complicated skills, which you can help older children and tweens to develop.

6. Loading the Dishwasher

Kids at this age can help with both loading dirty dishes in the dishwasher, as well as unloading clean ones, and putting dishes away. Help children understand where the dishes belong once clean, and how to load the dirty ones for maximum effectiveness.

7. Gardening

Keeping a garden isn’t just a fun hobby — it can teach responsibility and can even provide fresh food! Teaching your children a love of gardening and some basic plant care tips can be an extremely important lifelong skill. 

8. Money Management

Budgeting and money management skills are absolutely necessary later on in life, and many people grow up without a basic knowledge of simple household finances. Start young and add in age-appropriate money basics so that your children are able to successfully budget and manage their own finances in adulthood.

9. Personal Hygiene

Sometimes, hygiene can seem so basic, you may not even think to teach your children some of these skills. However, it’s important to help your children understand these basics so they can keep themselves clean and better promote personal health. 

Of course, as your child grows up, you’ll find endless opportunities to teach them a variety of life skills (more ideas here). This is really one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of being a parent.

Enroll Today at TIA!

5 Ways to Help a Highly Sensitive Child

Ways to Help a Child Who Is Highly Sensitive
Ways to Help a Child Who Is Highly Sensitive

It isn’t uncommon for young children to be sensitive and to respond intensely to certain emotional situations. After all, young children have yet to acquire experience with regulating their own emotions. So, if your five-year-old is upset, a tantrum is often the response. However, it is entirely possible for this sensitivity to exceed healthy levels. It may have a negative impact on your child’s emotional wellbeing. While some children are simply emotional, others are known as highly sensitive children. 

When a child is highly sensitive, their emotional responses or outbursts are generally more frequent than in children who aren’t highly sensitive. Highly sensitive children have an increased awareness of their surroundings. This hyper-awareness can sometimes take a toll on the child’s ability to remain calm and react in ways that are less immediate and emotional. 

Highly sensitive children experience their emotions on a deeper, more intense level, compared to many of their peers. On one hand, this increased level of empathy is a positive trait. However, being highly sensitive can take a toll on the child’s own wellbeing and even their ability to interact and form relationships with their peers. 

The Top 5 Ways to Help a Child Who Is Highly Sensitive

If you believe that your child is highly sensitive, you’re likely searching for ways to help them better manage their emotions, using means that won’t cause them any additional distress. Here are five of the most effective ways to begin helping your highly sensitive child.

Show the Child Empathy

As we’ve established, highly sensitive children are incredibly empathetic — this can be both positive and negative. Still, when your child is highly empathetic, it’s important to interact with them in a way that demonstrates empathy to them, in turn. 

For instance, maybe your child is throwing a tantrum. You feel unable to calm them down. In highly sensitive children it isn’t helpful to simply walk away, giving them time to relax. In fact, this can even leave the impression on your child that you aren’t accepting of them, and that you don’t care about their feelings.

Instead, speak warmly to the child. Allow them the chance to verbally express how they feel, giving them the opportunity to openly express their own emotions.

Avoid Becoming Defensive

Walking away isn’t the only negative response a parent can have to their highly sensitive child if that child is currently experiencing an outburst. As the parent, try your best to keep your own emotions in check. Don’t respond defensively to your child. Instead, put in the effort to validate your child’s feelings even if they contend with your own. Keep in mind that your child is an individual person and their feelings aren’t always going to be in agreement with your own in every situation. Simply put, it’s always best to think before you speak.

Help Your Child Feel Prepared

The truth is, highly sensitive children thrive on routine. If your child knows exactly what to expect in a given situation, they’re more likely to remain at ease. However, unexpected scenarios or events might cause a highly sensitive child to respond intensely. So help your child to ease into unfamiliar situations. Prepare them with responses whenever possible. For instance, prior to the first day of school, allow your child the chance to meet their teacher and get a look at the classroom. This will typically make the first day more manageable for them.

Create Safe Spaces and Avoid Overwhelming the Child

Remember that your child may need additional downtime to safely process their emotions. If your child needs some quiet alone time every day after school, then give them the space they need. Try not to force your child to invest large quantities of emotional energy all in a short span of time. Instead, give them safe spaces and time to work through their feelings if that’s what they want.

Use Gentle Discipline

As you discipline a highly emotional child, make sure that you’re taking their increased sensitivity into account. These children are more likely to be intensely self-critical. Therefore it’s important not to shame them or make them feel like a “bad kid.” Ensure that punishments are consistent and make sure to discipline them calmly whenever possible.

If you have a highly sensitive child, make sure to account for their unique awareness of their own emotions, as well as their increased empathy. Interacting with a highly sensitive child does take some added considerations. Here are a few books that may help. It’s possible to help them feel safe and accepted as you work together to process their emotions.

Enroll Today at TIA!