The Highly Intuitive Child: A Guide to Understanding and Parenting Unusually Sensitive and Empathic Children
Crawford, a psychotherapist, approaches her topic from the perspective of a professional who has dealt with many intuitive children during the past 20 years, and also as an intuitive individual herself. Children who are highly intuitive and empathic, she explains, both present and face unique challenges, and parents who are not particularly intuitive themselves may be shocked, perplexed and even frightened by their offspring's unusual gifts. While certain indigenous cultures have long regarded intuitive children in a positive light (such as the Inuit and ancient Mayans), mainstream America—and its parenting books—have avoided the topic, the author claims. Crawford steps up to the plate, dealing with the intuitive child's difficulties at home and at school, and encouraging parents to offer love and acceptance. She explains that empathic children often take on the weight of the world, and may become overly stressed by and sensitive to injustice. In a useful chapter, Crawford outlines 10 important skills that parents can teach intuitive children ranging from learning how to tell the difference between random fears and intuition, to how to turn down the volume on intuitive antennae. While Crawford's audience may be somewhat limited, she offers sincere support and practical information to parents searching to aid and more deeply understand their highly intuitive child.(Dec.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.