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Home > Ready for Life > Teachers > Temperament > About Temperament > Tips For Working With Sensitivity To Senses
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        • Tips for Working With Activity Level
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Tips For Working With Sensitivity To Senses

two-year-old works to mix bread dough with her motherTips for Working with a Child Who Is Sensitive to Senses

Friends, Family and Home

  • Have family “group hugs” where everyone hugs together.
  • Remind a child who likes touching that friends may not want to hold hands and hug.
  • Use softer colors and pictures in his bedroom.
  • Lower the lights, television and music in the home.

Learning, Childcare and School

  • Find childcare that is quieter, calmer, with fewer children, and where there is an affectionate caregiver.
  • Let teachers know that a lot of noise causes her to be upset or too active.
  • Encourage teachers to hug and hold him.
  • Ask teachers to provide music and art activities for her.

Activities and Television

  • Use soft, soothing music to comfort him.
  • Limit television to avoid over-stimulating your child.
  • Keep the TV and music turned down.
  • Let her help you cook and smell, taste and touch the food as you prepare it.

Guidance and Discipline

  • Find out what things are too much for him: noise, strong flavors, certain textures or colors.
  • Give lots of holding and hugging.
  • Help her find a quiet, soothing place to calm down when she is cranky.
  • Seek him out and hold him when he is not being clingy.
  • Say things quietly and hold her when she is overactive or upset.

bored five-year-old boy on couchTips for Working with a Child Who Is Less Sensitive to Senses

Friends, Family and Home

  • Provide brighter colors in her bedroom, more pictures around the house and different music.
  • Encourage quieter, calmer activities with friends.
  • Make sure family members ask if they can give hugs and kisses to be sure they are wanted at the time.
  • Help family not take it personally when a baby prefers not to be held.

Learning, Childcare and School

  • Choose childcare programs that have good lighting and lots of colorful pictures, toys and materials.
  • Be sure that school and childcare teachers provide many art and music activities.
  • Choose toys that are bright and colorful.
  • Encourage teachers and friends to expose a baby to different sights, sounds and experiences.

Activities and Television

  • Provide him with colorful toys, musical instruments and activities that involve light, sound and color.
  • Give her a music player and a choice of songs to listen to.
  • Watch the volume on television and music so that he doesn’t damage his hearing.
  • Provide infant toys with many textures and activities that involve all of her senses.

Guidance and Discipline

  • Give lots of love with words when he doesn’t want to be held and help him do the same.
  • Have her stop, look around a messy area and show her what needs to be picked up.
  • Point out beautiful sunsets, soft and loud music and other things he may not notice.

Related Video

  • Who Is My Child?

    In this video, you will learn about how our temperament traits make us different from one another.
  • What Would You Do?

    Think about different ways you can develop different children's temperament so that they can better forgotten with the world around them.
  • What Makes Up a Child’s Temperament?

    Find out about the different aspects of temperament traits.
  • Things to Remember

    Watch for essential information about understanding your child's temperament.
  • Temperament Traits

    Understand the different traits that make up your child's temperament.
  • Getting Along

    It's important to teach your child how to get along with others in spite of differences in temperament.

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