I am highly sensitive – I’ve known my whole life. Every loud noise, every little tickle, every grain of sand would drive me crazy. Over the years I’ve learned to desensitize most sensations that would have otherwise drove me up a wall, but after becoming a mom, my sensitivity has crept back into my life. Whenever my kids screech at each other, or when a glass shatters on the ground, it shakes me to my core. I don’t have time to run out of the room before screaming, I just react. And until recently, I found fault with myself for “overreacting” to stimuli, especially when my husband would say things like “wow, stop being so sensitive” or ” it’s not that bad, don’t get bent out of shape”. It stinks being highly sensitive, especially in those situations you can’t control, and especially with your children.
But being highly sensitive also brings its benefits too. I am very much in tune with my kids needs and emotions. I feel a special bond, a sense of closeness with both my boys, for that reason. I can tell when their little bodies are tired, when they start getting hungry and can tell by the slightest inflection of their voice that they need a hug. I’ve gotten weird looks, especially from family, when I insist my kids are tired, hungry, bored or something else that they are not overtly communicating because I can just tell. And I think that makes me a good mom.
My sensitivity is both a blessing and a curse – my mind can run in circles for hours because of one harmless comment, or I can tell when my son is overwhelmed by a situation and talk to him before things escalate. However, I’ve started trusting myself and my sensitivity because it’s who I am. And although I may “seem” to be overreacting to every little sound or stimulus, I’m just being me.
