📰 Must read: How to Help your Child with Socks & Shoe Struggles

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Imagine walking around all day with a pebble in your shoe, but you're expected to act like everything's fine. You push through morning activities, hold it together at school, smile through playtime. But by the time you get home? That one tiny thing your mom asks you to do becomes the final straw.

That's not a tantrum. That's a nervous system that's been maxed out all day finally saying, "I can't anymore."

When your highly sensitive child freaks out over sock seams, scratchy tags, or shoes that feel "wrong," their not just being dramatic. Recent research confirms that highly sensitive children have a significantly lower threshold for pain and discomfort.

Think about it this way: those sensations that you and I might barely notice? They're like nails on a chalkboard for our kids. That sock seam pressing against their toe isn't just annoying, it can genuinely hurt.

Here's what breaks my heart: our highly sensitive children are often walking around in a constant state of sensory overwhelm, trying so hard to "be good" and not complain. They're aware that their reactions seem "too big" to others, so they internalize that discomfort until they simply can't hold it in anymore.

And then we wonder why they lose it over putting on shoes.

The truth is they've been uncomfortable all day. They've been managing sensations that feel overwhelming while trying to meet everyone's expectations. Those tears aren't about socks, they're about everything that led up to that moment.

Take their complaints seriously. When your child says something hurts or feels wrong, believe them. Their sensory experience is real, even if you can't feel what they're feeling.

Find sensory-friendly alternatives. Seamless socks, tagless shirts, and soft fabrics give your child what their nervous system needs to function.

Psst… we like these from Lucky & Me

Reframe the narrative. Instead of "they're being difficult," try "their body is telling them something important." This shift changes everything for for both of you.

Your child isn't being picky or dramatic. They're navigating a world that often feels too much, too loud, too scratchy, too tight. And they're doing the best they can with the nervous system they were born with.

The least we can do is meet them where they are.

As a thank-you for being part of our community, we’re giving you $20 off our course, How to Respond Calmly to Your Highly Sensitive Child’s Meltdowns.

Inside, you’ll learn the PAUSE Practice that keeps you grounded (even when you’re touched-out and running on fumes), discover what’s really happening in your child’s nervous system, and get word-for-word scripts for those “I hate you!” moments.

Plus, you’ll have tools to turn 45-minute battles into 5-minute reconnections. Think of it as a reset button—for both you and your child.

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Sometimes you just need a show that feels like a cozy blanket after a long day—and for us, that’s Modern Family. We’ve started rewatching it and forgot just how laugh-out-loud funny, clever, and surprisingly heartwarming it is. The mix of chaos, love, and ridiculous family moments makes it such an easy watch when you don’t have the energy for anything heavy.

Even better, it’s something the whole family can enjoy together. And with 11 full seasons, it’s the kind of show you can settle into and stay with for a good long while.

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