4 Steps to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child With Separation Anxiety
I arrive with a crying 4-year-old attached to my leg — stressed, exhausted, and feeling like I’m the worst parent in the world. Everyone else’s children are already at preschool. Not crying. Not clinging to a leg.
“She doesn’t want to come,” I say to a teacher, desperately hoping she has a magic pill that makes my child turn into one of the other happily playing, well-adjusted children around me.
“Yes. We could hear her screaming in the parking lot.” She gives me a look. I feel like she’s just handed me my parenting grade, and it’s an F.
Hmm. Can I crawl into a hole now?
Your Crying, Clingy Highly Sensitive Child Is Normal
I know now (I wish someone had told me then!) that I’m not the only parent who has experienced this. Separation anxiety is incredibly normal and healthy in children, even up to the age of 7. Our children are attached to us. They rely on us. So for them to get upset when we leave is very normal.
But at the time, it felt terrible. It felt like I was causing my child very real emotional harm.
But, in fact, if we deal with it well, it can do the opposite.
Instead of causing them harm, separation anxiety can help kids. It can develop resilience, self-esteem, and coping skills. Times of separation give them a chance to practice dealing with stress and anxiety. It teaches them, “I can cope with this!”
That screaming, crying, highly sensitive child attached to our ankles is learning that they are a person who can handle what life throws at them. That you trust them to cope.
Why Many Highly Sensitive Children Have Separation Anxiety
Both of my youngest children hated leaving my side (my 8-year-old still has a little bit of trouble). The screaming lessened to complaining as they got older, but they definitely struggled a lot with separation anxiety. Once, my Lula hid under a desk crying at preschool for over 30 minutes after I left.
I almost gave up on preschool a number of times. My kids weren’t even going that often. Three half-days a week maximum! I persevered because I needed the time out, I wanted them to have social interaction and make friends, and because they always loved it afterwards. When I picked them up, they never wanted to leave!
So why all the fuss at the start?
My kids are older now, and I’ve learned a few things about them. One of those is that both of my youngest daughters are in the 15-20 percent of the population who are considered highly sensitive.
High sensitivity is not a negative thing. It’s a normal personality trait.
Highly sensitive people feel their emotions very strongly. They have a bit more difficulty dealing with change and loud, busy environments. And they are very affected by things others might not be bothered by. Movies or TV shows can be difficult for them. Even the slightest scary or violent scene — even in G-rated movies — can start my girls screaming, “Turn it off!”
Highly sensitive children are in tune with others’ feelings and can be very observant. They’ll be the ones that notice when you’re sad and give you a hug. They get really upset by kids being mean to each other. My daughter, Little, talked for months about some boys at preschool that called another child names. She was highly offended.
Highly sensitive children are the ones that grow up to defend the weak and point out the injustices in the world. They are the ones that notice beauty in things and think deeply.
They are pretty amazing people.
4 Steps to Help Your Sensitive Child at Drop-Off
So what can we do to help our sensitive kids settle in better?
- Acknowledge their feelings, but don’t let them control your behavior. “You’re sad because you want me to stay. I’ll be back in two hours. I can’t wait to hear what you did today.” You are the adult. You control what happens, not them. Kids will try to keep you there and control you by crying, screaming, begging, and clinging. However, they actually feel safer when we are in control.
- Make it normal. “I know you have a hard time with goodbyes. I love that you’re such a cuddly boy. I can’t wait to see you again when I pick you up.” (Smile and give your child a quick hug.)
- Leave quickly and confidently. Ignore their pleas to keep you there and trust that they will be okay.
- Don’t sneak away. Always say, “Bye, see you soon!” Sneaking away can make kids more clingy next time.
4 Stages Your Child Will Move Through
So that you can be confident that they are okay, there are four stages of separation anxiety for you to be aware of. If your child is happy when you pick them up, then you know they have moved through these stages.
- Protest stage — screaming, crying, and complaining to try to keep you there.
- Despair — usually after you leave. They might drop to the floor, hide, or cry.
- Adjustment — they calm down.
- Emotional detachment — they get engaged in a game, toy, or talking with someone.
When I picked up my girls, they were happy to see me. They’d race around telling and showing me what they’d been up to. They were fine — no emotional damage done.
By trusting our children to move through these stages, we allow them to learn to cope with stress well and to head towards becoming the resilient, confident adults we want them to eventually be.
And we get an “A” in parenting! Well done, us!
So the next time they make a fuss, cling, and cry, have a quiet smile to yourself. Here’s a chance for your wonderful, highly sensitive child to learn and grow. Acknowledge their feelings, say goodbye, and then get out of there fast!
You might like:
- 6 Critical Self-Care Tips for Highly Sensitive New Moms
- 21 Signs That You’re a Highly Sensitive Person
- Why Highly Sensitive People Get Mentally and Emotionally ‘Flooded’
- 14 Things Highly Sensitive People Absolutely Need to Be Happy
- Why Do Highly Sensitive People Absorb Other People’s Emotions?
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