Posts Tagged ‘books’

Does your child have the trait of high sensitivity?

HIGH SENSITIVITY, EXPLAINED:

Kids with high sensitivity are born with a more keenly developed nervous system. (15-20 percent of kids have the trait of high sensitivity.) Usually if a child or teen has the trait, at least one of their parents has it, too, or maybe their sisters or brothers. It is inherited.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

Jenna Forrest, the author of Help Is On Its Way – A Memoir About Growing Up Sensitive,  developed this youtube video to help bring an explanation of high sensitivity to a larger audience. There is also an official test here for determining if a child is highly sensitive.

Below are a few sample questions that you’d answer a strong yes to if you’re highly sensitive…

* Are you bothered by bright lights, strong smells, scratchy clothes, or sirens nearby?

* Do you get rattled under time pressure, especially during tests and when someone is watching over you?

* Do you avoid violent movies and TV shows?

* Can you easily sense other people’s feelings? Do you put other people’s needs before yours?

* Do you need to withdraw during busy days to someplace where you can have privacy and relief?

* Do you go out of your way to avoid social situations you think might be upsetting or overwhelming?

* Do you have a creative and complex inner life?

* Do your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:

A highly sensitive child will pick up on all the subtle things going on around him/her in a magnified way. There is a strong intuition and perception present in a highly sensitive child. They can sense a lot of what’s going on around them. They can see other people’s needs and that makes them want to help make things better, but also feel overwhelmed by the largeness of that task. Sometimes, as teens, they can get tangled up in other people’s problems and neglect their own needs. They’re very creative, visionary, and conscientious by nature.

HELPFUL TIP:

A great book to start with for teens or adults is The Highly Sensitive Person or The Highly Sensitive Child by Elaine Aron, because they help readers identify and understand this trait of sensitivity. Teens with more difficult backgrounds might benefit by reading my coming-of-age memoir, Help Is On Its Way.

Please visit  www.jennaforrest.com for more informaton or you can check our. Help Is On Its Way’s Amazon.com page is linked up there as well, and a Search Inside the Book feature is available.

Also available to purchase at chapters.indigo.ca