Raised Resilient: Help Your Highly Sensitive Child

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

Episodes

April 16, 2025 14 mins

You know your child’s emotions aren’t something to fix—but in those overwhelming moments, it’s easy to fall into sneaky habits that quietly send the message, “Let’s make this feeling go away.” Especially with highly sensitive kids, the urge to soothe or solve can show up even when you’re trying your best to hold space.

In this episode, we’re unpacking 5 surprising ways you might be unintentionally trying to “fix” your child’s feeli...

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Co-regulation with highly sensitive kids is powerful—but it can get really messy. In this episode, we’re talking about what it looks like to stay grounded when your child is overwhelmed, pushing you away, and drowning in big emotions.

I’m sharing a personal story from a recent parenting moment that reminded me how connection often starts in the mess. It wasn’t perfect, but by staying close and quiet, I was able to support my son in...

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When a family member is struggling—or no longer part of the picture—it can be hard to know how (or if) to talk about it with your child. But with highly sensitive kids who notice everything, silence often feels heavier than the truth. In this episode, we’re exploring how to gently and honestly talk about tough family dynamics in a way that feels supportive and rooted in connection.

Inspired by a listener’s powerful question, we’ll ...

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Some parenting moments feel impossible—and in this episode, I’m sharing one of the hardest I’ve had in a long time. It was a perfect storm of exhaustion, overwhelm, and a tough transition for my oldest, who’s struggling with the shift to middle school. When a big emotional explosion hit right at dinnertime, I didn’t handle it perfectly—but what happened next changed everything.

I’m pulling back the curtain on what I did wrong, what...

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Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is one of those labels that can feel heavy and confusing—especially if you’re parenting a highly sensitive child who seems to check all the boxes. But what if the real issue isn’t defiance at all? In this episode, we’re breaking down what’s really going on with kids who show ODD symptoms and why so many sensitive kids fit this description.

Today I’m getting honest about why I don’t believe in ODD...

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Kate was at her breaking point. As a single parent navigating co-parenting while carrying most of the parenting load, she felt completely overwhelmed—especially when her highly sensitive daughter was having 90-minute meltdowns every single day. Daycare pickup was a battle, and nothing she tried seemed to help. She knew something had to change, but she had no idea where to start.

In this episode, Kate gets real about her journey fro...

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You try so hard to stay calm, but somehow, the yelling keeps happening. You regret it, swear it won’t happen again—yet the next day, there it is. Sound familiar? The truth is, the real reason you’re yelling isn’t what you think.

In this episode, we’re getting to the root of those big reactions. I’m breaking down the hidden “traps” that keep parents stuck in the yelling cycle, why traditional advice falls short, and the key shift th...

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We all mess up as parents—it’s inevitable. No matter how much we read, learn, or try our best, perfect parenting doesn’t exist (trust me, I’ve checked!). But here’s the good news: there’s one simple yet powerful thing we can do that truly changes everything, no matter how big or small the mistake.

In this episode, we’re talking about the most important tool you have for repairing those tough moments with your child. Because what ha...

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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 ...

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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...

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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 ...

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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 t...

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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....

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Emily and her husband were stuck in a cycle of yelling and physical punishment—approaching parenting from completely different perspectives. She wanted a more connected approach, while he believed discipline meant spanking. It felt impossible to get on the same page, until they took a leap of faith: an 8-week commitment to no spanking. What happened next completely transformed their home.

In this episode, Emily shares their powerfu...

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When your highly sensitive child starts using baby talk, it can throw you off. Is this a setback? Anxiety? Something bigger? In this episode, we’re digging into what’s really going on, why it can feel so triggering, and how to shift your perspective so you see it as a window into your child’s emotional needs—not something to “fix.”

This topic comes straight from a listener’s question, and it’s one so many parents struggle with. In ...

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It was one of those mornings—the kind where sibling arguments escalate, patience runs thin, and you’re stuck in the moment with no easy way out. On a walk to school, tensions were high between my boys, and I’ll be honest—I didn’t handle it well at first. But then, I made an intentional shift, one that changed everything. And here’s the thing: these shifts can’t just be surface-level fixes; they have to come from a deeper place.

In ...

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Parenting is more than just the obvious tasks—it’s also the invisible mental load that weighs us down. From remembering appointments to keeping track of snacks, homework, and emotions, it feels like there’s always something to manage. In this episode, I’m sharing how overwhelming this can be and how it often feels like we’re carrying it all in our heads without a break.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to carry this load alone,...

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Some nights just feel impossible—especially for our sensitive kids. After a long, busy day, my almost 4-year-old was completely unraveling. She was overtired, overwhelmed, and had just hurt herself in the car. Every little thing was setting her off, and no matter what I did, the tears kept coming.

In this episode, I’m sharing how I held space for her big feelings, even when it was hard. Most of us weren’t allowed to cry openly as k...

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Gentle parenting is often imagined as staying calm, speaking softly, and always keeping our cool—but that version of it just doesn’t work for highly sensitive kids. In fact, if you’ve ever tried to white-knuckle your way through frustration, you know it doesn’t help. Sensitive kids pick up on everything, and when we suppress our emotions, it can actually fuel more meltdowns, not prevent them.

In this episode, we’re challenging the ...

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We all have those moments—something small happens, and suddenly, we’re way more upset than we “should” be. For me, it was a dirty towel placed back in the clean pile, and I couldn’t shake the frustration. Even though I knew it wasn’t really about the towel, I felt stuck in my reaction, and it was pulling me away from the kind of parent I want to be.

In this episode, I’m sharing what happened, why little things can feel so triggerin...

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