Empath Child: Signs That Your Kid Is One and How to Help Them Thrive

It is vital to recognize and support an empath child if they are to be happy and grow up able to make the most of their gift.

Empathy is not always an easy gift to have. Many adult empaths remember being labeled as needy, over-sensitive and emotional when they were children.

When we are not understood as children, it can affect us psychologically as adults. This is why it is so important to recognize an empath child and provide the love and support they need to grow up loving their gift rather than resenting it.

Empathic children often need help and support in dealing with overwhelming emotions and it can be very easy to make them feel worse rather than better if we don’t treat their needs sensitively.

Every child is an individual, but if your kid exhibits the following signs, they are probably an empath child:

1. Extreme sensitivity to the emotions around them

Empath children will pick up on every emotion in their environments. Don’t think you can hide your anger or worry from them – they will pick up on it. Also, don’t think that just because you don’t row in front of them they won’t know there is tension in the family – they will. Empath children can pick up on subtle clues such as body language, energy, and atmosphere. They also feel the emotions of others directly and so this can be very distressing to them.

Try to be as open with your child as you can in an age appropriate way. It’s never worth trying to hide problems from them. They will know something is wrong and is being hidden from them, and they will fear the worst. They may also blame themselves. It is much better to talk about any problems while reassuring them that you can handle it and that it is nothing for them to be concerned about.

2. Physical symptoms

Many empath children suffer from headaches, stomach aches and other physical symptoms. This is probably a way for them to express the feelings they have inside of them and ask for help.

Never dismiss a child’s physical symptoms, but show them sympathy and support. They are probably just seeking comfort and reassurance. Usually, some kind words and a hug can make the symptoms disappear.

3. Being very responsible

While you might think it is a good thing if a child is always helpful and responsible, it isn’t necessarily so. An empath child might take on responsibilities and worries that they are too young to bear. They may feel responsible for other people’s happiness and dedicate their little lives to helping, healing, fixing and trying to make others happy. They may also worry about things that they cannot solve, such as paying bills.

Try to encourage your empathic child to relax, let go and have fun. Reassure them that they are not responsible for making others happy. When there are problems, make sure they are clear that it is not their responsibility to fix them and that you have it all in hand. This can be hugely beneficial to empath child allowing them to relax and enjoy their childhood.

4. Reacting badly to certain people or situations

If you are not an empath yourself, you might be embarrassed if your child is not loving and kind to a member of your family or one of your friends. But it may be that your child is picking up on an energy that you are just not aware of. Never force your child to spend time with people they don’t like or fear, especially alone.

You must trust your child’s instinct on this one. If you have a relationship in your life that is negative or abusive, then you need to sort it out for your own sake, but also for the sake of your child who will find it extremely damaging.

Always take your child’s fears seriously. They may not always tell you if a person or situation makes them uncomfortable because they fear to upset you. But you will notice it from their behavior. They may become withdrawn and unhappy or show physical symptoms such as stomach aches or feeling sick. Talk to your child whenever they seem unhappy to get to the root cause of the problem.

Closing thoughts

The most important way to help an empath child is to be as open and honest with them as possible. They will always know when you are lying, so there is no point in trying to hide things from them.

This doesn’t mean pouring out all your problems to your child. Acknowledge any problems appropriately, but explain that you able to handle them and the child doesn’t need to be concerned.

You have to judge each child on an individual basis to work our how much to tell them and what reassurance to give. But you will know when you have got it right because your child will relax, smile more and be more eager to play and have fun.

Remember that your empath child is dealing with overwhelming emotions that they are just not mature enough to cope with. But listening to their fears, reassuring them and giving them plenty of love and hugs will go a long way to helping them cope with these emotions. It will also make sure they grow up knowing how to handle their gift and use it effectively as adults.