What Can My Child Say if They Are Teased for Being Sensitive? 

Parenting Perspective 

For a child, being called ‘too sensitive’ can be a deeply painful experience. It suggests that their way of caring, feeling, and noticing things is wrong, when in fact, sensitivity is a profound strength. Sensitive children often show high levels of empathy, creativity, and awareness long before their peers. The challenge is not to remove their sensitivity, but to help your child feel proud of it and respond to teasing with calm confidence instead of shame. 

Why Sensitivity Can Feel Vulnerable 

Children who feel things deeply often absorb the moods and words of others. When they are teased, they may shut down or overreact, believing that something is wrong with them. As a parent, your goal is to help them understand that sensitivity is not weakness; it is a form of perception. They need the tools to build emotional resilience, founded on self-understanding and quiet strength. 

Reframe Sensitivity as a Strength 

At home, help your child to view their sensitivity as a gift. You could say things like: 

• ‘You notice things that others miss, and that means you have a kind heart.’ 

• ‘Being gentle does not make you weak; it makes you wise.’ 

When a child begins to see their sensitivity as a positive quality, teasing loses its power. A child who is secure in their own worth does not feel the need to prove it to others. 

Coach Calm and Confident Responses 

Practise simple, assertive phrases that they can use when teased. It is important to maintain a light and steady tone, rather than a defensive or angry one. 

• ‘Caring is not a bad thing.’ 

• ‘It just means I notice how people feel.’ 

• ‘Everyone is different, and I am okay with that.’ 

If the teasing continues, teach your child to walk away calmly or change the subject by saying, ‘I do not feel like joking about that.’ These responses demonstrate calm self-respect rather than inviting confrontation. 

Nurture Supportive Friendships 

Encourage your child to spend time with peers who appreciate kindness and gentleness. Explain that ‘you do not need lots of friends, just a few who make you feel comfortable being yourself.’ Healthy friendships act as a mirror, reflecting a child’s value instead of their perceived flaws. 

Share Stories of Gentle Strength 

Talk about inspirational figures, whether real or fictional, who combined strength with sensitivity. This helps your child to see that compassion and courage are not mutually exclusive and often exist together. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, a soft heart is considered a sign of faith, not weakness. The holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described mercy and compassion as qualities deeply loved by Allah Almighty. A sensitive child, when guided with strength and balance, carries that mercy into the world, becoming a source of light, not fragility. 

The Strength of Compassion in the Quran 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Fatah (48), Verse 29: 

‘(Prophet) Muhammad ﷺ is the last and final Messenger of Allah (Almighty); and those that are his Companions, are uncompromising (in their values) with the extremists in disbelief; and are merciful (in their dealings) with each other…’ 

This verse beautifully unites the qualities of firmness and mercy, teaching that true strength includes tenderness. When your child learns to hold both of these qualities, they embody a complete and balanced character: gentle in heart and firm in their self-respect. 

The Prophet’s ﷺ Honour for Gentle Hearts 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2594, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Gentleness is not in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it makes it defective.’ 

This Hadith confirms that sensitivity, which is the root of gentleness, is a quality that beautifies a person’s character. When your child responds to teasing calmly, they are practising this prophetic teaching by choosing dignity over defensiveness. Their gentleness, guided by confidence, becomes a form of strength that others may one day come to admire. 

When you help your child embrace their sensitivity, you provide them with both self-respect and spiritual grounding. They learn that feeling deeply is not a flaw but a form of insight that allows them to notice hurt, show care, and seek justice with kindness. 

Over time, they will discover that being sensitive does not mean being weak; it means being awake. They become more aware of others and of the mercy of Allah Almighty within their own hearts. When teasing occurs, they will know how to stand tall, not with hardness, but with the quiet, unshakable grace of a heart that feels deeply and still forgives.