A Parent’s Guide To Emotional Overexcitabilities In Gifted Children

This continues our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, the focus is on gifted children and emotional excitabilities. 

  

 

Emotional overexcitability is a term that comes from Kazimier Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration. There are five overexcitabilities — or OEs —  each describing essentially a super sensitivity, a heightened characteristic, or intense need experienced in gifted individuals. Emotional OE, as you can guess, typically entails really intense emotions.

Really intense emotions.

Really. Deeply. Overwhelming. Consuming.

Often uncontrollable emotions.

 

 

Recognizing Emotional Overexcitabilities In Gifted Children

Emotional overexcitabilities are the easiest to recognize in gifted children because their responses are clearly on display

• The child who is so nervous they can make themselves sick.
• The son who doesn’t want you to leave and clings to your knees.
• The daughter who screams when her brothers laugh at her.
• The child who hides behind the couch and sobs when something sad happens in a Disney movie
• The child who wakes up at 2:30 am every single night just to come get a reassuring hug. The child who cries two months after watching a movie where a character was bullied.
• The daughter who clings to you, soaked with tears, and cannot stop crying because she just loves you really much.
• The child who takes offense, builds strong attachments, leaps with joy, holds grudges out of pain and forgives quickly out of hope.
• The daughter who cries daily, hourly, but also laughs loudly, deeply.
• The child who is compassionate, angry, loving, fearful, frustrated, annoyed, embarrassed, elated. The child who just has a lot of feelings.

These children display great emotional depth and strong attachment to others, and even to places and things. They often show deep cpncern for others, even at a young age.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do To Help Your Child With Emotional Overexcitabilities

We cover a ton of valuable information in today’s episode including helpful tips for supporting your child with emotional overexcitabilities. 

The most important of all though, is to remember that these feelings are very real for your child. The more you learn about this unique aspect of your child’s development and personality, the more you can help. 

 

 

Raising Lifelong Learners Episode 145: Emotional Overexcitabilities And Gifted Children

In this episode, we continue our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, the focus is emotional overexcitabilities and gifted children. Colleen discusses what these overexcitabilities are and how to support and help your child. 

  

Links And Resources From Today’s Show:

• SPONSOR: CTC Math
• The Learners Lab
• A Guide To Overexcitabilities And Gifted Children
• Overexcitabilities and Why They Matter for Gifted Kids
• Psychomotor Overexcitabilities: Helping Your Child Thrive
• Emotional Overexcitability And Gifted Kids (what you need to know)
• Intellectual Overexcitabilities And Your Gifted Child
• Imaginational Overexcitabilities: A Parent’s Guide For Gifted Children
• Emotional Overexcitability And Gifted Kids (what you need to know)
• Knowing Your Gifted Child

 

 

  

 

Want to record your own question, comment, or have your kids tell us what they LOVE to learn about? Click below and start recording!

 

 

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