| All children are sensitive, but some kids are unusually | | | | provider. |
| sensitive, intuitive, and empathic. They can finish your | | | | Encourage exercise. Exercise is a vital part of staying |
| sentence, sense danger before it happens, "catch" | | | | healthy, especially for children who take on more |
| other people's moods, and even tell you what's | | | | than the average share of other people's feelings. |
| wrong with the family pet. These highly intuitive | | | | Walking, running, dancing--any activity that helps your |
| children have a special gift--but their heightened | | | | child feel grounded and connected to the earth--are |
| abilities also come with special health challenges. Here | | | | great ways to help your child shake off troubling |
| are seven ways you can help your highly intuitive | | | | experiences and emotions he's picked up during the |
| child stay healthy. | | | | day. |
| Help him trust his inner yes or no. Every unusually | | | | Help him "turn off" and recharge overnight. Unusually |
| sensitive child has a body signal that tells him yes or | | | | sensitive children often have a hard time sleeping and |
| no. Help him identify this feeling. Positive hunches may | | | | turning off their sensors. Sometimes his enhanced |
| feel tickly, light, open, or happy, for example. A "no" | | | | traits translate into insomnia and nightmares. Give him |
| intuition is sometimes described as sad, "off," flat, or | | | | a chance to express pent-up emotions before bed. |
| dark. A child who learns to recognize and trust his | | | | Perform a calming ritual, such as a head massage. Get |
| yes and no hunches can avoid danger, make good | | | | him to bed early, and establish a regular sleep routine. |
| decisions, and detect the truth. | | | | Mind his "personal energy hygiene." Intuitive empath |
| Feed her pure, whole foods she likes. Unusually | | | | children need to know how to clear out the feelings |
| sensitive children have highly sensitive bodies and are | | | | they might have taken on during the day so they |
| very "tuned in" to what their bodies need. As a | | | | don't feel depleted by these feelings, or start to act |
| result, they sometimes have strong reactions to food | | | | them out. Just as you teach a child to wash his |
| dyes and chemicals such as additives and | | | | hands, you can teach him how to "squeeze out his |
| preservatives. Also, they sometimes can't bring | | | | energy sponge" at the end of the day. Some ideas: |
| themselves to eat meat. Be sensitive to your child's | | | | Hoot into a pillow with big, wild movements; shake it |
| food preferences and give her plenty of healthy | | | | off with your arms; bang it into some clay; or scrub |
| foods she asks for. | | | | it off with a shower or bath. |
| Pay attention to overeating/undereating. Highly | | | | Help her manage stress. Children who tune in to |
| sensitive children sometimes eat for comfort, or | | | | other people's illnesses and moods often display |
| won't eat because of a stomachache, for example, | | | | symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, |
| that they have gotten from being around someone | | | | stomachaches, or distress. Have her ask, "Is this |
| who was anxious or depressed. If you notice your | | | | mine?" Teach her ways--through art, words, or |
| child having eating problems, help her express her | | | | movement, for example--to get other people's |
| emotions and find healthy outlets for releasing stress | | | | emotions out of her body so she can replenish her |
| so that it reduces the eating-related problems. When | | | | own balance and quickly bounce back to normal. |
| in doubt, be sure to check with a licensed health care | | | | |