Addressing Unkind Words to Friends: A Listener’s Question About Highly Sensitive Kids

Recently, a thoughtful listener sent in a question about their child being unkind to a friend. Seeing kids be mean to their friends can be incredibly triggering, stirring up fears about their ability to maintain friendships in the future or even worries about them being alone. But it’s important to remember that kids are still learning. They might not have enough life experience to predict how someone will react without trying it out.  You see, sometimes kids will say things like "I hate you" out of curiosity rather than anger, just to see what happens. Instead of shaming them, or telling them not to do it again, we can instead ground ourselves in a developmental perspective. We can get curious about why a child said those words and ask questions to understand their experience.  Because here’s the thing: when we validate our highly sensitive child’s experience and emotions, they feel much more comfortable to continue talking about these experiences in the future. There is always room for compassion! And, don’t forget to check out my brand new resource: “10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know” (linked below), if you want to get even more inside the brain of your highly sensitive child.  FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? Take My FREE Quiz! https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz FREE Guide: 10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know: https://www.raisedresilient.com/10things Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisedresilient FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset

Om Podcasten

Parenting is the hardest job ever – and parenting a highly sensitive child who’s struggling can feel downright impossible. If you’re suffering through endless meltdowns and aggressive behaviors, walking on eggshells, and losing sleep worrying, you’ve landed in the right place. Because I’m here to help you feel GOOD about parenting your sensitive kid with big emotions! I’m Dr. Hilary – clinical psychologist and mom of 3 helping you end the constant meltdowns and reclaim peace in your home. Join me each week on the Raised Resilient Podcast as I help you make sense of your sensitive child’s challenging behaviors & build resilience in the face of their big emotions. I’ll help you understand your child’s behavior (and your reactions to it!) so that even the really hard moments make more sense. I’ll empower you with tools, strategies, and scripts to navigate those really hard moments with connection and confidence. (And I’ll remind you that no tool, strategy, or script is as powerful as your parenting ace – your relationship with your child!) I’m passionate about parenting differently – parenting in a way that sees all kids as good, even when they’re struggling. I’m passionate about breaking unhelpful generational cycles and putting a hard stop to spanking, time outs, shaming, and yelling -- for all kids and especially for sensitive kids with big emotions. I want to help you stop worrying about whether you’re “raising them right” and feel confident that your kids will grow up trusting themselves and feeling comfortable in their skin … because they were raised resilient. And that’s big. Because raising our kids resilient can literally make this world a better place. Listen, parenting is hard no matter how you do it. You won’t “enjoy every moment”, no matter what that lady at the store says. But I’m here to help you go from just barely surviving with to parenting in a way that genuinely feels good, for you and your child. So, warm up your coffee and grab your ear buds. It’s time to turn your child’s sensitivity into their SUPERPOWER! Connect with me: https://www.raisedresilient.com/ IG: @raisedresilient Get your Free Mastering for Sensitive Kids Meltdowns Guide: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns Take my free QUIZ to see if you’ve got a sensitive kid: https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz Book your free Breakthrough Session! https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough