Giving your child praise can be tricky.

That might sound like a weird thing to say.

Because kids like praise, right?

But how do you know when you’re praising them TOO much?

The truth is, there’s no such thing as ‘too much’ praise …

Provided you’re giving them praise in the right way.

Consistent and meaningful praise boosts your child's self-esteem and promotes positive behavior.

Which calms the outbursts, eliminates meltdowns, and helps them be happy and confident.

But praise needs to be authentic.

Otherwise, your child will pick up that you’re not being sincere.

And all the “well dones” in the world become meaningless.

Likewise, you can’t just layer the praise on thick, 24/7.

You need to offer them criticism, too.

Okay, I don’t mean you just throw in some criticism for the sake of it.

But just like you’d with anyone, you don’t just want to praise your kid for every last thing they do.

And you don’t...

It’s time for the showdown to end all showdowns …

To settle a debate that’s raging in the world of HSC parenting …

And for the gloves to come off, once and for all.

Because the question is -

What’s the BEST way to parent an HSC - With passive parenting, or with punishment?

Before I reveal which one you need to prioritize, let me give a little bit of background.

Passive parenting (or gentle parenting) involves taking a step back, and not getting overly emotionally-involved when your kid is having a meltdown, or struggling to cope.

There’s a definite benefit to this.

I mean, we know that if your child is highly charged, the last thing you want to be is highly charged, too.

But at the same time, passive parenting can lead to a lack of boundaries.

You end up being physically present … But mentally absent.

Parents who do this fail to provide the emotional support, guidance and attention their child needs.

They treat their child as fragile.

And...

Do you DREAD family parties?

Does the thought of being invited out for a meal send you into a whirlwind of stress?

And would you rather do just about anything than navigate a new social situation with your child?

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing your answers to the above were “Yes, yes, and a great big … YES!”

That’s because dealing with social situations when you have an HSC is tough.

Doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a big family party …

A smaller, more intimate meal or cookout …

Or even just playdates with one other kid.

Any parent of an HSC knows just how stressful these can be.

You’ve probably turned down more invites than you want to think about.

Or left places early so many times, people have stopped even bothering to ask you out anymore.

But the worst thing about all this?

The shame you can feel as your kid goes into a meltdown, or struggles to cope when others are around.

And hey, there’s...

I got pretty mad the other day.

It was after a conversation with a client …

And no, it was nothing she’d done.

This gal is a rockstar, and an amazing advocate for her kid.

But I got mad, because of something she told me she’d overheard.

This lady was waiting to pick her child up from school, and was standing just round the corner from a group of other moms.

To protect her identity, I won’t name any names.

But basically, not realizing my client was out of earshot, these other moms were talking about her kid.

And the words ‘weak, shy, and overly emotional’ came up.

Understandably, my client was very upset.

Because no mom wants to hear her kid being talked about like that.

Especially when it’s just not true.

See, the big misconception about HSCs is that they’re weak, because they need extra attention …

That they’re shy, because they often avoid social situations, and keep themselves to themselves …

And that...

Screaming and shouting …

Yelling in your face and telling you they hate you …

Slamming doors, punching walls, and throwing books all over the room …

If any of these happen the minute you try to get your kid to do homework -

Welcome to the world of parenting an HSC!

Most of us didn’t like homework when we were at school.

And maybe we tried everything we could to get out of it, or chose to leave that book report or calculus revision ‘til the very last minute …

But we all kinda sucked it up, and accepted homework as a necessary evil.

That doesn’t happen with HSC kids though.

And actually, I hear of truly terrible situations, every single day, in my Facebook group.

I’ve heard about parents being threatened.

Or school books being ripped up in protest.

Angry phone calls home from teachers, demanding to know why this week’s assignment wasn’t done.

And even if your kid doesn’t have a full-blown meltdown, sometimes simply...

There’s something NO ONE is talking about when it comes to parenting highly sensitive children.

Neglecting this one thing is a surefire way to keep you stuck in the meltdown cycle …

With a kid who stays unpredictable and volatile …

Leaving you tiptoeing around, worried about what to say 24/7 …

And making you feel like you’re doing something “wrong.”

What one thing am I talking about?

Mindset.

I don’t mean your kiddo’s mindset either.

I mean your mindset.

Now, you might be thinking -

“But Megghan, what does MY mindset have to do with ending the meltdown cycle, and helping my child be calm, confident and sociable?”

Well … A LOT!

Mindset is something we place a big emphasis on at MTC.

And for good reason.

Because we’ve seen just how amazing the outcomes are when parents stop trying to ‘fix’ their kid, and start working on their own mindset first.

But if you’re on the fence and still not...

Ever feel like you’re walking on eggshells at home?

One moment, your HSC is calm, loving and content …

The next, they’re in full-blown meltdown mode …

And then soon after, they totally shut down?

If so, let me tell you something -

This is expected in the meltdown cycle.

In the world of HSCs, going from one emotion to another super quickly isn’t uncommon at all.

We call this “The shutdown/ irritability cycle.”

Just because it’s expected though, doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.

And it definitely doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about the stress this causes, either.

Because if we’re being totally honest, you don’t want to feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells at home, right?

Worried that you might say or do something that triggers a meltdown.

Or send them into shutdown mode.

Or that you may use the wrong parenting approach for a given situation, because you haven’t realized...

Growing up, I wasn’t a highly sensitive child …

But I was the sibling of a highly sensitive child.

See, people often wonder why I got into the work I do at MTC.

And while it’s because my passion truly is helping parents and kids in this situation, it’s also down to my personal experience.

I want to preface this by saying that I have an amazing relationship with my parents.

They’re kind, loving people, and we get on great.

But looking back, knowing what I know now, there were things in my childhood that definitely weren’t optimal, and had a negative impact on me as I grew up.

That’s why I wanted to write today’s blog.

Parenting an HSC is super tough.

Parenting an HSC and a non-HSC is even tougher.

Because it’s such a balancing act.

And clearly, you can’t use the exact same strategy for both kids.

So what can you do?

Well, let me share with you the 4 “lessons” I learned being parented in a traditional household...

Something that comes up a LOT in my Facebook group is judgment.

We get parents posting almost every day about how family members simply can’t stop criticizing or passing comments on their parenting styles.

Which sucks.

Because there you are, doing the work needed to help your kiddo end the meltdown cycle, develop vital social skills, and grow into a calm, confident young adult …

And you’re getting unnecessary comments from others who feel the need to get involved!

Now, I want to preface this by saying, I understand why family members can be critical.

I mean, we all go on our own journeys, right?

And when something is a little bit ‘different’ it can be scary.

But at the same time, feeling like others judge you just isn’t nice.

It can make you second guess and doubt yourself.

So to help you out with this, I wanted to explain the 3 main reasons why your family might be upset with your shift in parenting style.

First up, they simply don’t...

Being the parent of a teenager is never easy.

But when your teen is highly sensitive …

Well, that adds a whole other level of complexity.

If you’re a parent of a teen though, and you read my post last week about the importance of consistency with highly-sensitive kids, maybe you’re thinking -

“Well, Megghan’s advice there should work for us, too.”

Stop right now!

There’s a BIG difference between the 3 things parents of younger kids need to do for consistency, compared to parents of teens.

That’s why, if you have a kid between 13 and 19 (or even just a little outside of this range,) you need to read today’s blog carefully.

Because I’m about to reveal the 3 consistency traps that keep teen parents stuck.

Trap #1: Parents Not Being on the Same Page

With most things in your relationship, one spouse will take more of an active role.

Whether it’s things like household chores …

Buying groceries …

Or home...