I was reading a forum today, when I came across a post by a person asking for tips on how to "toughen up" her "sooky child". She stated that her son (age 3) cries at the drop of a hat, whether at home or when out and about (her other son is not like this).
Now, this immediately rang some bells for me due to the fact that I consider myself to be a highly sensitive person, and I know first hand what it's like being told to "toughen up" my entire life, only making my coping mechanisms worse, not better.
Yes, young children tend to be "sooky" as they are egocentric by nature. And at times you do have to be stern and teach them to "get over it" (or let go). However, what if you're the small percentage of people (15-20%) in the world born with a nervous system that is highly aware and quick to react to everything?It's important that parents especially are aware of this trait and figure out whether the traits suit their child or not. A great way to find this out is by taking a test that Elaine N. Aron created:
http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test_child.htm
Imagine being born with this wonderful trait, an inborn temperament that is found in about 20% of children and in all animals, and being told by everyone around you to "toughen up", from birth right through to old age.
If parents don't stop to consider that their child may be sensitive by nature, as an adult, they may become prone to depression, anxiety and shyness. If, however the child is nurtured, understood, and appreciated - they will grow up to be happy, creative, intuitive, empathetic and healthy human beings. Not to mention, grow up to be an adult that may hold a surprising amount of wisdom.
