I’m not a nutritionist.

And I’m not a dietitian.

But one thing I do know is that what your kid eats can have a huge impact on their behavior.

It makes sense, right?

I mean, we know as adults, if we eat crap … We feel like crap!

And if we eat good, healthy, nutritious foods, we have better focus, more energy, and actually want to do things.

Same goes for your kiddo.

Managing their nutrition can be tough at the best of times though.

And with Halloween just around the corner, I know a lot of parents are going to be seriously worried.

We see it every year in my Facebook group.

The questions come flooding in:

“My child loves Halloween, but I’m dreading the way she’ll behave after eating all that candy.”

“Should I let them go trick or treating with friends? They so want to go, but I know the after effects won’t be pretty.”

“We generally try to keep my son away from sugar, but it’s so difficult around Halloween.

...

Ever heard a professional talk about how it’s a good thing for your kiddo to “get their emotions out?”

By which they mean scream, yell and have a meltdown.

They’ll say things like -

“Well, they’re opening up to you, and telling you how they really feel.”

Or they might say it’s taking the lid off a pressure cooker, to reduce the tension.

In theory, this might make sense.

But here’s the thing -

This approach is like teaching your child how to digest food by making them vomit!

Now, I know that’s a gross analogy, but go with me for a minute.

You’d never tell your kiddo that throwing up after a meal was a sign of healthy digestion.

If that started happening, you’d look for a solution, FAST.

Well, it’s the same for their emotions.

You don’t want your HSC to vomit up their emotions …

You want them to ‘digest’ them.

Why?

Because while we want our kids to express themselves, and to feel...

Do you ever feel embarrassed by your kid’s behavior?

If so … You’re not alone.

Being embarrassed is a normal part of parenting.

But with an HSC, that embarrassment can be on another level.

Not only do embarrassing situations crop up more frequently …

They can also be way more intense.

So it’s normal to spend a lot of your time feeling red-faced, ashamed, and worrying that everyone’s looking at you.

Or worse … Judging you.

Believe me, here at my coaching practice, we’ve heard it all.

From kids ramming carts into displays when grocery shopping, because they didn’t get their way …

To having screaming incidents in the middle of church …

Or even cursing at random strangers.

And, while most kids grow out of this naturally, that’s definitely not the case with HSCs.

Even the smaller stuff, like refusing to compete in sports, or not showing you any affection while other kids are giving their Moms and Dads hugs and...

Megan and her husband Paul were at their wits end and had run through three different therapists in two years!

They were starting to think that their five year old was just going to be one of those kids that just isn't parentable, until they stumbled upon our work and had a call with us. 

In that conversation, they learned what was possible and what was available to their family. 

Megan & Paul were able to do the work to break out of the pattern of daily, multiple times a day meltdown cycle with their daughter that they have been dealing with since she was 18 months old. 

I'm not here to tell you that it was easy. 

Megan and Paul were skeptical of our work together for several weeks into the program. 

Yet they still were able to achieve the results we're talking about. 

We're here to support you and make this simple but it doesn't mean that it’ll be easy.

Breaking out of this pattern requires you to change the way that you think about your...

Thinking of taking your HSC to therapy?

If so … Don’t do ANYTHING until you read this blog.

Now, I want to preface this by saying, I never make sensationalist comments for the sake of it.

That’s not my style.

I want to give you help and advice, not be ‘controversial’ in order to generate engagement.

That’s why you know I’m being deadly serious when I say that therapy could be ruining your child’s emotional intelligence.

Whether we’re talking about ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) …

PCIT (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy) …

Or even something like sticker charts …

None of these help to eliminate meltdowns.

Why?

Well, traditional therapy uses a reward structure.

It rewards good behavior, and punishes bad behavior.

You might do that when you’re training a dog … But not when you’re parenting your kiddo.

The problem with this approach is that it focuses purely on stopping the symptom.

Let’s...

Do you ever wonder if your kid is REALLY having a problem at school …

… or if what they’re going through is just a regular struggle that all HSCs face, and it might pass in time?

There’s no doubt about it, parenting a sensitive child is tough.

You know they have needs other kids don’t.

And that you need to bring your A-game, every single day.

But still, sometimes there’s that creeping doubt -

“Should I be doing more … Or do I need to let them figure some of this out on their own?”

You know me -- In my coaching practice, we’re all about giving HSCs the tools, skills and resilience they need to handle whatever life throws at them.

But sometimes, you gotta step in.

Especially if they’re really having problems at school.

The question is -

How do you know?

Well, there’s 3 things to look out for:

#1: Is your kid being singled out?

I’m not talking about your kid getting feedback every now and then for not...

I talk a lot about overcoming problems in these emails.

Ending the meltdowns …

Calming the fights, tears and tantrums …

And I often share how to simply cope with the challenges raising an HSC can bring.

That’s because I know how tough it can be.

But one thing I don’t talk about nearly as much as I maybe should, is how amazing your child can be.

See, HSCs have a TON of potential.

And actually, they have a hidden advantage over other kids, that means they’re often way more likely to succeed.

I know that might be tough to get your head around, if right now you’re only just making it through the day with your sanity intact.

But believe me, by the end of this email, I think you’ll feel differently.

See, being highly sensitive isn’t a ‘problem.’

It’s actually a gift.

And I genuinely believe sensitive kids have the power to change the world.

But only if you do things right.

I was recently talking to a Mom who was new to...

Running around the house like someone gave them a Red Bull at 8pm.

Bedtime battles can be the worst kind of meltdown in this cycle.

When your energy is drained, your patience is thin, of course it drives you extra crazy to watch your kid take 30+ minutes to do the simple tasks of pjs and brush teeth.

But the saddest part can be that you look forward to the snuggle time that can happen as soon as they get this part done, adding to your frustration.

And you know that disappointment is about to be shared– because the ‘one more story’ or ‘just a minute’ right before lights out could mean a big explosion if you don’t concede to the request…

When do these mental gymnastics end?

Do you prioritize the actual bed time… or calm so your kid can actually settle into bed?

Do you apologize to your future self for having to pay for cavity fillings when the toothbrushing process is as limp as cooked spaghetti?

You might have heard from others...

There’s no doubt about it, HSCs thrive on having a regular routine.

And that’s all well and good … But sometimes, try as you might, routine isn’t something you can control.

Like after summer vacation.

You know this as well as anyone, but small changes can bring about BIG reactions in sensitive kids.

They can get stuck in overwhelm, descend into a shutdown cycle, or go into full-on meltdowns, just from the tiniest change in schedule.

Meaning for many parents, getting back into a routine post-Summer is a nightmare.

And what might seem like a small change to you (or even to most kids) feels like their world is ending to an HSC.

It doesn’t matter if you revert to the exact same routine they had a couple of months back, they find adjustment super difficult.

And that can lead to a 3-hour marathon argument every morning.

Or begging and pleading to get them to get up and get dressed.

Or maybe they even start acting up at school, because they just can’t...

Stomach aches.

Tears.

Tantrums.

And complete meltdowns.

All these (and more!) can be a daily struggle when trying to get your HSC to go to school.

And that’s on a normal morning, when they’re in a routine.

But following a long vacation?

Well, that’s even more stressful.

In fact, many parents tell me they dread this time of year, because they know every single day will incur a freakout …

If not multiple freak outs.

They’re waiting with baited breath for the school year to start again …

Trying to eke out every last second of the summer, before the ‘chaos’ sets in, the struggle returns, and every morning drains the life from them.

And what’s even worse is, you’ve probably only just got into your vacation routine, and now everything’s about to change back again!

Let’s face it, parenting an HSC has a lot to do with establishing routines and healthy habits, and breaks in the school calendar do not help with this.

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