Emotional Intensity is a common trait found in children and adults who are gifted. You might notice they feel deeply or have “big emotions”.  

Emotional intensity may look like…

• Intense positive and negative emotions (or sometimes both together)
• Feeling the emotions of others, even those they are not close with 
• Strong “emotional memory”- replaying events in their mind  and “re- feeling” what happened over and over again
• Fear and Anxiety- A rich and complex imagination may lead children who are gifted to worry about things other children don’t think about. 

Sometimes these big emotions can manifest in the body in the form of (seemingly unexplained) aches and pains.

• What can you do to support your child during times of big emotions?
• Validate your child’s concerns and join in the celebration during times of excitement
• If your child is having a hard time expressing how they are feeling, reassure  them that feelings can be complex. Check out this Feelings Wheel to help them put a name to what they are feeling. 
• Avoid statements like “It’s not that big of a deal” or “Why do you take everything so seriously?”
• Encourage your child to talk through their worries or concerns. Gently remind them of likely situations vs unlikely situations and what you can do as a family to prevent something from happening (or what you can do to ensure something will happen!). 

If you are looking for more resources in supporting your gifted child through their emotions, check out Living with Intensity, The Highly Sensitive Child, and The Empathetic Parent’s Guide to Raising a Highly Sensitive Child. 

Do you listen to the Sequoia Breeze Podcast? Last week Dr. Ryan chatted with Rebecca LaSavio about all things gifted.  You can listen here! 

In November, The Gifted Zone will focus on supporting students who fall under “Twice Exceptional” (2E) . What questions do you have? What do you want to know more about? Reach out to Dr. Ryan at alexandria.ryan@sequoiagrove.org!