Over the years I have become acquainted with many resources for highly sensitive people. All in the quest to understand my highly sensitive children better. And myself.
I have searched for tools that will help calm my kids when they are overwhelmed. I have embraced resources that help my children understand their emotions and their highly sensitive traits.
The Happy Sensitive Kids community has also shared experiences of tools, resources and professionals and that information is collated here on Happy Sensitive Kids to help you.
The following links to resources will help you learn more about what being highly sensitive means, for us as parents, but also for our children. The listed books are full of tips and advice about parenting, caring and educating a HSC.
Books
- 101 Ways to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child Empty Their Bucket: Calming Tools During Times of Overwhelm (Happy Sensitive Kids Book 1)
- How to Raise a Happy Sensitive Child: How to Raise Children who Flourish Because of Their Highly Sensitive Traits, Not in Spite of (Happy Sensitive Kids Book 2)
- Perfect Books for Highly Sensitive Children
- Must Reads for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children
- Must Reads for Highly Sensitive People
For more book ideas related to highly sensitive children read 18 Perfect Books for Highly Sensitive Children or 9 Book Gift Ideas for the Highly Sensitive People in Your Life.
Calming Tools
Helping a child empty their bucket can be a full time job at certain phases of a child’s life. This list is full of ideas to help a child when they feel overwhelmed: Calming Gifts for Children.
There are two meditation apps I highly recommend when it comes to emptying your bucket. The first is Calm and the second is Headspace.
Gift Ideas
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the highly sensitive in your life, then look no further!
- The Ultimate Highly Sensitive Child Gift Guide
- 10 Gift Ideas for a Highly Sensitive Father
- Mother’s Day Journal Gift Ideas
- 6 Perfect Calming Gifts for a Highly Sensitive Child
Printables
Across the Happy Sensitive Kids blog you will find lots of resources, tips and advice to help you parent your highly sensitive child, and understand yourself if you are highly sensitive too. There are also free printables available to help your highly sensitive child:
- A Bucket Activity to Help a Highly Sensitive Child Empty Their Bucket
- Happy Sensitive Kids Free Bookmark
- How to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child After School (Free Doorhanger)
Courses
There are a range of parenting courses provided by Susan Stiffelman here; those listed below are of particular interest for parents of highly sensitive children.
- Highly Sensitive Parents / Child Masterclass with Susan Stiffelman, Elaine Aron and Alan Freund
- Helping Anxious Children Thrive with Susan Stiffelman and Maggie Dent
- Big Feelings, Tender Hearts with Susan Stiffelman and Judith Orloff
Julie Bjelland, a licensed psychotherapist, author, and founder of Sensitive Empowerment, also offers courses tailored specifically to HSPs. Some of her master classes are free so hop over here to view more details. Below are a few of her courses that are particularly relevant for HSPs.
- HSP Brain Training
- Blooming Brilliantly – Understanding & Loving Who You Are
- The Sensitive Person’s Toolbox
- Grow Your Heart-Centered Business – an online course designed to help highly sensitive people & the neurodivergent grow an online heart-centered business.
Websites
- The Highly Sensitive Person – Elaine Aron’s website, a must visit for every HSP.
- Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? – A parent’s questionnaire and an excellent starting point to assess whether your child is highly sensitive.
- Highly Sensitive Refuge – a community for highly sensitive people, setting out to prove that high sensitivity can be strong. Great articles for HSPs and parents of HSCs.
- HSP World – access a wealth of resources and a highly sensitive community.
- Mary Sheedy Kurcinka – website of the author of Raising Your Spirited Child, including parenting advice and a blog.