Chickie Wow-Wow
Raising a sensitive child is always joyful and sometimes challenging. Often, sensitive children develop anxiety at school in an attempt to adjust to the rigourous and overwhelming social demands.
My daughter Pip is a sensitive child. She notices everything; she feels everything.
Her grade one classroom had an incubator filled with chicken eggs. The eggs hatched last week and now the incubator is full of little fuzzy chicks. Each student has a chick to care for and then, when school ends for the year, the chicks will be returned to a farmer.
Pip, Mommy and Hedeki.
Pip told me the other day that she was crying tears of joy because the chicks were going to hatch the next day and she was so excited.
Even watching a film about the chicks hatching caused her to tear up with joy and anticipation.
Sometimes, the modern world isn’t designed for such children. Often it’s hard for Pippi to find calm and enjoy energetic, social times with large numbers of peers. She can feel overwhelmed. She doesn’t like sleep overs away from home because she worries at night and cannot sleep.
Her grade one class recently had a year end Pirate Sleep Over in the school gymnasium (Pip’s teacher is an amazing woman/teacher who gives her all to her students).
What should have been the most exciting social event of Pip’s life, was also one of the most stressful.
She cried for a week in advance over her worries: What if I’m too tired and no one else wants to go to sleep? What if I cry in the night–the teacher said pirates don’t cry? What if I miss you (mom) too much?
The big night arrived and her anxieties were in full force. As much as she loved the night’s exciting events, she felt moments of being overwhelmed all night long.
However, Pippi made it through. She had good times and stressful times and was happy to see Mom at iHop for breakfast in the morning.
What surprised me, is that society seems to be changing, for the better. Everyone is more aware of individual needs and differences. Pippi’s dedicated, wise and kind teacher played a huge role in making sure Pippi enjoyed her night. Her teacher cuddled her off and on all night long when Pippi cried. Also, Pippi’s classmates were very supportive of her anxieties as well as the parents of her classmates.
Everyone gets that Pip is extra sensitive and her buddies look out for her and try to help.
Although the modern world is full of many thrilling new social opportunities that can overwhelm the sensitive child, the modern world is also full of new wisdom. We get that we are all unique and that it is okay to be afraid.
The schools have come a long way since my eldest daughter was in first grade and there seemed to be little patience or understanding for her sensitive nature.
Another ray of hope for modern society–we are getting some things right.
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