Is your child more sensitive than other kids? Do they often feel overwhelmed or drained by external stimuli? Parenting Empath children is not an easy job, but it is highly rewarding and extremely crucial.
What Is The Meaning Of Empathy?
Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes; seeing things from their perspective and feeling what they are feeling.
It is the natural ability to understand and grasp the emotions, thoughts, and experiences of another person and genuinely feel what they are going through.
There are three main types of empathy:
- Cognitive empathy: Intellectually understanding someone’s thoughts, perspectives, or mental state.
- Emotional (or affective) empathy: Genuinely feeling what another person is feeling, resonating with them emotionally.
- Compassionate empathy: Not only understanding and feeling another’s pain but also being moved to help.
So you see, empathy is a blessing, a divine gift. In this day and age, when humanity is struggling to survive in the face of greed, power, conflicts, and ego battles between people and nations, we need more empaths among us, who can heal, lead, and raise the vibration of the earth.
But, it’s hard being an empath and it’s definitely harder being an empath child. If you’re raising empath children, know that you have been assigned a divine duty. By raising powerful empath children, you’re serving humanity and doing God’s work.
What Does It Mean To Be An Empath?
Both science and spirituality acknowledge the power of an Empath.
In the scientific community, an Empath is explained as a highly sensitive person who feels deeply what others are feeling.
Spirituality recognizes Empaths as Lightworkers, Starseeds, or Indigo people, who can absorb others’ energies and are here on earth on a divine mission – to heal pain, raise consciousness, and guide humanity.
Regardless of which school of thoughts you subscribe to, it’s a fact that those with a high level of empathy are highly sensitive and tend to have a soft heart; a heart that beats for others.
Why Is Parenting Empath Children So Important?
Empath children are more vulnerable to external stressors. They easily get overwhelmed when experiencing pain, conflict, or any kind of sensory overload. And this is why your task of parenting Empath children is highly crucial.
Many parents unknowingly hurt their Empath children by asking them to “grow a thick skin”, or to be “less sensitive”, or worse, criticizing their inability to manage their emotions and punishing them.
This makes the Empath children feel shame and guilt for being different. They grow up believing there’s something wrong with them.
Although with time, all Empath children find their true purpose in life, not being understood by their parents as kids always remains their kryptonite.
Empaths who didn’t get support from their parents as kids, often tend to struggle with self-esteem, validation-seeking, and unhealthy coping habits, squandering their reservoir of empathy on unavailable, toxic, and even abusive people.
If you don’t want this for your kid, then please keep reading.
Read: 10 Signs Of Childhood Trauma: You Had An Unhappy Childhood And The Realization Is Setting In Now!
Parenting Empath Children: 6 Ways To Empower Your Sensitive Kid
Here’s how you can raise powerful Empath children who will be aware of their power:
1. Help Them Identify Their Uniqueness Through Open Communication
Make sure your child feels comfortable to talk to you about their emotions. Promote a safe environment for your child so that they feel excited and relieved to offload their burden and talk about what bothers them. Encourage them to talk about their empathic abilities.
Take every opportunity to make your empath children see their unique trait as a blessing, not a curse. Guide them to develop and depend on their intuition. Help them to learn how to check in with their emotions from time to time.
2. Ask Them Not To Feel Bad For Their Emotions
It’s essential for your Empath children to be able to honor their feelings; even those which keep them awake at night or make them hide under the bed.
Listen to them intently and help them process their tangled feelings. Don’t dismiss their emotions or minimize their experiences.
Make them understand that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes and managing one’s emotions takes time and effort.
There’s a place for everything in this creation; light and shadow can coexist. Pain is a hard truth of this world and so is overcoming it with resilience.
Read: How To Raise Mentally Strong Kids Who Are Ready For The Future
3. Encourage Them To Take Down Time
Empath children need alone time to recharge their batteries and they need imagination to fuel their drive. Encourage them to have free time when they can just be themselves.
You might not realize this but their make-believe acts are helping them to get through life and will turn into their powerful visualization and manifestation skills in the future.
They also need time to process their overwhelming emotions. So, if they need a day off from school when things get rough, don’t be hard on them. Don’t force them to socialize when they’re feeling depleted from taking on others’ energies.
4. Teach Them The Importance of Boundaries
Empath children who grow up with low self-esteem, often have their boundaries violated by others. As adults, empaths fall in the trap of trying to fix others or heal narcissistic individuals.
Empaths also unknowingly absorb other people’s negative energy, which can mess with their mental and emotional well-being.
So, it’s important to teach your Empath children the need for setting healthy boundaries and protecting their energy.
It’s important to teach the Empath children when it is okay to say “no”. Help them to distinguish between their own feelings and emotions they’re picking up from others.
Read: 5 Signs You’re Absorbing Other People’s Energy And What To Do About It
5. Introduce Them To Yoga and Meditation
When your Empath children are struggling with absorbing other people’s energies, gently guide them to practice a few deep breathing techniques. They can also try meditation sitting in front of a candle or visualizing a soothing imagery.
Gradually they can benefit from more advanced Yoga or meditation practices that increase mindfulness and reduce stress.
6. Talk To Their Teachers or Other Family Members
It’s necessary to sensitize educators and family members on the effective ways of dealing with Empath children.
Talk to your Empath children’s teachers, their other parent, or their step-parent about their special gift and unique needs. Educate them about sensory overload and ask them to look out for your kids if they’re being bullied or harassed.
When Empath children learn to value and manage their gift early in their lives, they grow up to be powerful forces to reckon with. They also enjoy a more fulfilling life than those who grew up with an unhappy childhood.
It is a great honor to be able to raise and support Empath children and see them blossom into adults who help humanity with their love, compassion, kindness, and sensitivity. Parenting Empath children is thus nothing short of a divine responsibility in itself!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you deal with an empath child?
Introduce your child to self-care practices and mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing, to help them relax and stay grounded. Avoid overloading their calendar. Ensure they have plenty of time for rest, play, and relaxation. Offer understanding and support instead of judgment to help them build confidence and resilience.
What type of childhood creates an empath?
Adults who experienced trauma in childhood often develop higher levels of empathy compared to those without such experiences.
Why are some children more empathetic than others?
Research supports the idea that family environment plays a key role in the development of empathy in children. Studies have shown that an authoritative parenting style as well as high responsiveness and consistent behavioral guidance promotes empathy in children
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