How old were you when you first became aware of your psychic or mediumistic abilities? You might have heard voices, had an imaginary friend only you could see, or sensed the presence of relatives who had passed on years earlier. Perhaps you had strong feelings about places and people that you couldn’t explain. If you were a child when this happened, chances are you didn’t know exactly what was going on! Hopefully, you had a supportive, sensitive adult to help you navigate these experiences. If so, you probably grew up to be someone who embraced their gifts and followed their intuition. If not, you might have found yourself scared or in denial about your spirit connection. A parent, teacher, family member,or friend can make all the difference in the world when it comes to nurturing a highly sensitive, spiritually gifted child.
Helping your child hold onto their Spirit Connection.
It’s not unusual for small children to be aware of spirits around them, be highly sensitive to energy, and to share insights and wisdom that seems beyond their years. Some can hold onto these gifts for longer than others, and when this comes to the attention of the people around them are labeled as crystal, indigo or rainbow children. Many other children are too young to express themselves in a way that adults can understand, and their gifts can go unnoticed.
A child’s ability to hold onto their spiritual connection depends a lot on the adults around them. The world is in desperate need of the love and enlightenment they have to offer, and it’s the responsibility of the adults in their life to protect, nurture and encourage them.
Encourage your child’s light.
There are some simple things you can do to help a child stay open to spirit messages and keep from letting earthy influences dim their light.
– Encourage the child to lead with their heart, not their head by asking them to share what they feel, instead of what they see.
– Honor their instincts about people and places. Let them pick the playground you visit, and don’t insist that they give someone a kiss or hug just to be polite if they clearly don’t want to.
– Foster a love of nature and animals. There’s plenty of time for movies, amusement parks and technology – balance out those activities with walks in the woods, days at the beach and quality time with pets!
-Meditate together and incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities. It will help both you and your child to connect with each other, and with the universe.
-If your child tells you about paranormal experiences – seeing ghosts or having memories of past lives – listen respectfully. You might even encourage them to write out and draw their experiences.
-Share books and articles about the spiritual world. I wrote Looking Beyond: A Teens Guide to the Spiritual World to help young people embrace their spirituality and enhance their gifts. It’s not just for teens – parents and younger children can learn from the lessons too.
-Encourage your children to be around other people who share their sensitivity and compassion. Don’t push them to play team sports if they would rather be helping at the animal shelter.
Parents make a difference.
Parents can make the difference between children fearing their special gifts and accepting them as the blessings that they are!
As a young boy, I could see dead people. My deceased grandfather often visited me, standing at the foot of my bed, and sometimes other spirits showed up as well. I was lucky – when I told my mother about my visions, she made them seem perfectly normal. She told me that she could see spirits too, and that I had a gift. As I got older, I pushed those gifts aside in an effort to fit in at school, but the foundation of acceptance that my mother had established was always there. When the time came for me to develop my gift and share it with others, my mother had already passed over, but I could always feel her support and guidance – and still do to this day!