Bucket Emptying: Five Ways to Support Your Sensitive Child Without Wrapping Them in Cotton Wool

In this episode, I’m tackling one of the most confusing challenges parents face: how to support a highly sensitive child without wrapping them in cotton wool or pushing them too hard. If your child feels everything deeply - the party overwhelm, the criticism that undoes them, the emotional intensity that seems bigger than everyone else’s - then you need this episode.

I explain what high sensitivity actually is, how it overlaps with anxiety, ADHD and autism, and why so many parents misinterpret sensitivity as fragility or a sign that something is “wrong”.
I walk you through five practical, evidence‑based strategies you can start using today to build your child’s resilience without dismissing who they are.

If you’ve ever worried that you’re either protecting your child too much or not protecting them enough, this episode will give you the middle path - one that honours their depth, strengthens their confidence, and helps them grow into the extraordinary person they’re wired to be.

So take a seat, pour yourself a cuppa, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

01:18 - The biggest mistake you will make

05:22 - A flooded nervous system cannot take information

08:14 - Manage, don’t avoid

10:40 - What adult do you want to raise?

13:16 - Be your child’s counter narrative

15:19 - Be a role model

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚 For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/

💚 For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email contact@drmaryhan.com

☀️ NEW — The Summer Reset. My seven-week summer programme for parents of anxious children (5–16) — whatever sets the worry off: five live group coaching calls + two private 1:1 sessions with me + every tool, all summer. 18 families only, starts 23 July. Details & enrolment: https://stan.store/drmaryhan/p/the-summer-reset

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(456)

When Your Child Won't Go to School

A child melts down at the door, stomach pain, tears, refusal, and you’re standing there with a 9am meeting to get to, unsure whether to push harder or give in.Your child is at a developmental crossroa...

23 Sep 43min

Bucket Emptying: How Much Your Child Really Needs (and What To Do If They're Not Getting It)

Is bedtime a battle?Does your child wake through the night?Or are you simply unsure whether your child is getting enough sleep?Most parents think of sleep as “rest”, but once you understand what sleep...

20 Sep 32min

What Your Child's Friendships Are Really Telling You

Today, I’m diving deep into one of the most emotionally charged parts of parenting: your child’s friendships.I’ll show you how to read what their social world is really telling you, how to recognise w...

16 Sep 29min

Bucket Emptying: Why Toddlers Have Tantrums (And What Actually Helps)

Spoiler alert: a tantrum isn’t bad behaviour. It’s a developmental event that happens when your kid’s nervous system is really overwhelmed.When your children have tantrums, it is never a reflection of...

13 Sep 23min

How to Raise a Confident Child

How do you know if your child is confident, or just masking?In today’s episode, I explain the two core skills that create genuine, lifelong confidence, and once you understand these foundations, helpi...

9 Sep 37min

Bucket Emptying: 5 Questions to Ask Your Child Instead of 'How Was School?'

If you’ve ever asked your children “How was school?” and received “Fine”, “I don’t know”, or total silence, you’re not alone. Our children walk through the door with a full emotional bucket, tired fro...

6 Sep 20min

Raising Children Who Love Learning

What’s the real key to raising a child who genuinely loves learning - not because of school pressure, grades, or how much homework they do, but because curiosity and resilience have been built from th...

2 Sep 25min

Bucket Emptying - REFILL: First Day at School Jitters - Top Ten Tips

The first day at a new school can be a scary experience for many children, as well as us parents! But what do you do if your kid is super nervous?We often feel like the bad guy making them go in when ...

30 Aug 29min