At a recent workshop a woman brought up the topic of psychic children. The student had a five-year-old niece who often revealed facts and memories about relatives who had passed on before she was born. At first her family didn’t think much about it, but as the girl kept mentioning deceased great aunts, grandparents, and friends, they realized that something unusual was going on. My student, who had a strong Spirit connection herself, was able to help the girl’s parents accept and appreciate their daughters’ gift. More important, she provided loving support to her niece – making sure the young girl knew there was nothing to fear.

After my student told her story, many other people in the room shared their own experiences with sensitive, psychic, and mediumistic children. It took me back to my own childhood, when I had frequently seen ghostly images and communicated telepathically with souls on the other side. I was happy to have the chance to share some ways these adults could provide comfort, wisdom and support to the sensitive children in their lives!

 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 are able to 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.

Your child’s ability to hold onto their spiritual connection depends a lot on parenting. 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 your child stay in the heart space and keep from letting earthy influences dim their light.

– Encourage your 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 scary Aunt Lillian a kiss 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 out at the animal shelter.

Parents make a difference.
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.

Parents can make the difference between children fearing their special gifts and accepting them as the blessings that they are!