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. 

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