Does the idea of your child being intuitive conjure up some abstract image that's hard to understand? Often, having an intuitive child in our home or in the classroom means they can be sensitive to their environment, see, hear and feel things others do not, tell it like it is, and have an enormous imagination. They can also be seemingly anxious and fearful at times. They understand things in an "I know, but I don't know how I know" kind of way.  It's a pretty powerful characteristic. Parents, if you choose to open up to it and embrace it, very often you'll find that these kids are picking up where you left off as children yourself.

                Intuition is defined by American Heritage Dictionary as, "the faculty of knowing as if by instinct, without conscious reasoning."  This "knowing" is often followed by heightened emotional sensitivity, overwhelming feelings of compassion and empathy for others, and intense feelings like anger and fear.  I didn't realize I was intuitive as a child until I became an adult- and likely why this subject is of such importance to me. Kids need to learn what to do with these intense emotions for it tends to bring on feelings of confusion, and a sense of not being grounded in one's body.  This may result in anxiety.

 It is critical that children learn the value of these traits, to view them as strengths, and to find outlets for expression.  I view it as speaking another language and when children don't have others to form a dialogue with around the volumes of content laying dormant inside of them, it can lead to feelings of being misunderstood and loneliness. As parents, teachers and professionals, validation is the greatest tool we can offer these children.

                Do your children have imaginary friends? Encourage this.

                Do your children tend to become hyperactive in group settings?  They may be absorbing others' energy- it's often an overload of information in their system and they need down time to balance it. Experiment with this.  Honor who your kids are at their core and what they can handle.

                Does your child dream a lot and perhaps see things that you don't? Allow them full expression of this. Talk to them about it.

                Often times these kids will sense somatically, that certain environments and individuals are not particularly healthy for them to be around.  They will complain of having stomach aches and headaches and feeling tired. Trust these feelings and their bodies' reactions.  This is a sign of true emotional intelligence and research shows that children who are emotionally intelligent have a greater success rate of thriving in the world than those with a high score as measured by the Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

                Ask your children- what are your feelings on...?? It is a great exercise to teach kids to trust in themselves when they need to make decisions.  We want our kids to feel great in their bodies and to know without a doubt, that they have the answers they need inside of themselves.  This is true emotional awareness.

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Happy May!