Raised Resilient: Help Your Highly Sensitive Child
Dr. Hilary Mandzik - Psychologist
Parenting is the hardest job ever – and parenting a highly sensitive child who’s struggling can feel downright impossible.
If you’re suffering through endless ...
When Parenting Hacks & Scripts Fail and You’re Stuck in the Meltdown Cycle with Your Sensitive Child—Here’s The Missing Piece You Need to Create Real Connection
You’ve read all the parenting hacks, tried the scripts, and followed the expert advice—but somehow, things still aren’t clicking with your sensitive child. The meltdowns keep happening, the challenging behaviors don’t seem to change, and the connection you’re working so hard to build still feels shaky. So what’s missing?
In this episode, we’re digging into why hacks and scripts alone won’t get you out of the meltdown cycle—and the one key piece that makes all the difference. When this missing piece is in place, everything else starts to fall into alignment, creating more ease, more connection, and real, lasting change.
If you’re feeling frustrated that nothing seems to “work” with your sensitive child, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about the deeper shift that actually transforms your parenting—beyond quick fixes—so you can finally break free from survival mode and truly thrive.
FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough
Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? Take My FREE Quiz! https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz
FREE Guide: 10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know: https://www.raisedresilient.com/10things
Mastering Meltdowns Support: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns
Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisedresilient
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
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15:51
Parenting Reflections: How I Stopped Asking "What’s Wrong?"—& Started Creating Safe, Low-Pressure Moments for Real Conversations With My Sensitive Child
Sometimes, the best conversations with our kids happen when we’re not asking direct questions—when we create space for them to open up on their own terms. Recently, I found the perfect low-pressure moment with my son, and what he shared with me was something I never would’ve gotten from a sit-down heart-to-heart.
In this episode, I’m sharing how I’ve learned to stop pushing for answers and instead make space for my sensitive kid to talk when he’s ready. I’ll walk you through what this looked like for us, how I practiced active listening (even when I wanted to jump in!), and why this shift has made our connection stronger than ever.
If your child shuts down when you ask, “What’s wrong?” or struggles to share their feelings, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about how to create moments where your child wants to open up—without pressure, expectations, or an agenda. Just an open, safe space to talk.
FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough
Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? Take My FREE Quiz! https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz
FREE Guide: 10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know: https://www.raisedresilient.com/10things
Mastering Meltdowns Support: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns
Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisedresilient
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
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15:20
Are You Stuck in Survival Mode? 3 Sneaky Signs You’re Burnt Out Parenting a Highly Sensitive Child (And How to Break Free!)
Ever feel like you’re just getting through the days instead of actually living them? Like you’re running on fumes, reacting to every meltdown, and collapsing into bed without even remembering half of what happened? If so, you might be stuck in survival mode—and trust me, you’re not alone.
In this episode, we’re diving into 3 sneaky, but ever-so-present, signs that you’re operating in survival mode as a parent to a highly sensitive child. Because here’s the thing—what feels “normal” might just be burnout in disguise. And when we’re stuck in this cycle, we’re not truly present, connected, or able to enjoy parenting the way we want to.
So let’s talk about how to spot it, why it happens, and (most importantly) what you can do to break free. Because you deserve more than just surviving—and so does your child.
FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough
Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? Take My FREE Quiz! https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz
FREE Guide: 10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know: https://www.raisedresilient.com/10things
Mastering Meltdowns Support: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns
Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisedresilient
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
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20:36
Parenting Reflections: My Daughter’s Magical Birthday Ended in a Bedtime Meltdown—Here’s How I Stayed Grounded and Kept the Right Mindset (Without Unhelpful Thinking!)
Birthdays are pure magic—but if you have a highly sensitive kid, you know all that excitement has to come out somewhere. My daughter just had the best Frozen-themed party, playing with her cousins and soaking up every special moment. But then… bedtime hit. And one tiny thing (a blanket not laying just right) led to a full-on meltdown.
In this episode, I’m sharing what was really going on beneath the surface, how I handled it, and the mindset shifts that helped me show up in a way that actually helped my daughter. Because when big days end in big feelings, how we respond matters so much.
So if you’ve ever had a fun, joyful day end in tears and meltdowns, you are not alone. Let’s talk about why this happens, what your child actually needs in these moments, and how you can handle them in a way that brings you closer instead of pushing you apart.
FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough
Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? Take My FREE Quiz! https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz
FREE Guide: 10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know: https://www.raisedresilient.com/10things
Mastering Meltdowns Support: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns
Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisedresilient
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
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16:50
Why Your Sensitive Child Keeps Hitting (Even When They Know It’s Wrong) – & The #1 Game-Changing Shift to Gently Curb Aggressive Behaviors at Home
When your kid hits, it’s so easy to go straight to, “No hitting! Hitting is bad! We don’t do that!” But what if I told you that reaction might actually be making things worse? Yep, even though we’re trying to stop the behavior, we could be amplifying it without even realizing it.
In this episode, we’re breaking down why kids hit, why they often already feel bad about it, and how our go-to responses might be adding fuel to the fire. Your child isn’t hitting because they don’t know it’s wrong—they literally can’t stop themselves in the moment. So what if, instead of just shutting it down, we helped them through it in a way that actually works?
I’m sharing the #1 shift you need to make to see less hitting and fewer aggressive behaviors in your home. No shame, no endless power struggles—just a simple change that will make a huge difference for you and your child.
FREE Breakthrough Call: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough
Is Your Child Highly Sensitive? Take My FREE Quiz! https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz
FREE Guide: 10 Things Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs You to Know: https://www.raisedresilient.com/10things
Mastering Meltdowns Support: https://www.raisedresilient.com/meltdowns
Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisedresilient
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
About Raised Resilient: Help Your Highly Sensitive Child
Parenting is the hardest job ever – and parenting a highly sensitive child who’s struggling can feel downright impossible.
If you’re suffering through endless meltdowns, walking on eggshells to avoid your child’s huge emotions, and losing sleep worrying that you’re failing your child, you’ve landed in the right place.
I’m Dr. Hilary Mandzik – clinical psychologist, parenting specialist, and mom of 3. And I’m here to help you feel GOOD about parenting your highly sensitive child.
Join me each week on the Raised Resilient podcast as we explore the topics parents worry about most when it comes to raising highly sensitive kids: managing meltdowns, building emotion regulation, understanding highly sensitive kids, making sense of challenging behaviors, building self-esteem, finding parenting strategies that actually work *with* your child’s sensitivity ... and everything in between.
I’ll help you understand your child’s behavior (and your reactions to it!) so that even the really hard moments make more sense. I’ll empower you with tools, strategies, and scripts to navigate those really hard moments with connection and confidence. (And I’ll remind you that no tool, strategy, or script is as powerful as your parenting ace – your relationship with your child!)
I’m passionate about parenting differently – parenting in a way that sees all kids as good, even when they’re struggling. I’m passionate about breaking unhelpful generational cycles and putting a hard stop to spanking, time outs, shaming, and yelling. I’m passionate about helping highly sensitive kids build the skills they need in order to manage their big emotions successfully ... and parents learning to regulate their own emotions alongside their children. I want to help you stop worrying about whether you’re “raising them right” and feel confident that your kids will grow up trusting themselves and feeling comfortable in their skin … because they were raised resilient.
And that’s big. Because raising our kids resilient can literally make this world a better place.
Listen, parenting is hard no matter how you do it. You won’t “enjoy every moment”, no matter what that lady at the store says. But I’m here to help you go from just barely surviving to parenting in a way that genuinely feels good, for you and your highly sensitive child.
So warm up your coffee and grab your ear buds. It’s time to turn your child’s sensitivity into their SUPERPOWER!
Connect with me:
https://www.raisedresilient.com/
IG: @raisedresilient
Schedule your FREE Breakthrough Session: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough
Do YOU have a highly sensitive child? Take my FREE QUIZ to find out: https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz
Major themes: parenting highly sensitive / deeply feeling kids; cycle breaking; building emotion regulation; generational healing; respectful parenting; gentle parenting; peaceful parenting; attachment theory / building a secure attachment
USA