‘Orchid’ kids are hypersensitive while ‘dandelions’ thrive in most environments… so what is YOUR child?
A PROFESSOR has revealed there are two types of children; “orchids” or “dandelions”.
The majority of kids (80 – 85 per cent) are “dandelions”, which means they are resilient, hardy and able to thrive in most social situations.
By contrast, around one in five kids are “orchids”, who find it more challenging at school and are highly sensitive to their environment.
Orchids may be more susceptible to breakdowns or illnesses, but can excel at the highest levels, if they are given the proper guidance, said a leading paediatrician.
Dr Thomas Boyce, professor of paediatrics and psychiatry at the University of California, said orchids “experience the majority of all the physical and psychological illnesses found within a population of children over time”.
This can result in them having personality traits such as being shy, acting tearful and being hypersensitive to what is going on around them.
According to Dr Boyce’s book The Orchid and the Dandelion, without helpful parenting, these children are more likely to become addicted to drugs, fall ill, have mental illnesses or commit crimes.
He wrote: “Most children . . . are more or less like dandelions. They prosper and thrive almost anywhere they are planted, watered and undisturbed.
“There are others, however, who more like orchids can wilt and fade when unattended by caring support but who — also like orchids — can become creatures of rare beauty, complexity and elegance when met with compassion.”
He said that variety sometimes runs in families, so parents will have one child who is an orchid and one who is a dandelion.
Dr Boyce was inspired to write his book, which is out on January 24, after seeing his younger sister Mary struggle to cope as an adult.
She encountered numerous difficulties that he claims other people would managed to cope with – but she tragically took her own life at the age of 52.
There are others, however, who more like orchids can wilt and fade when unattended by caring support but who — also like orchids — can become creatures of rare beauty, complexity and elegance when met with compassion.
Dr Boyce
Dr Boyce said their upbringings were very similar and were both raised in the same middle class 1950s family home in California.
Mary, who was described as being shy, managed to obtain two degrees from leading universities; Stanford and Harvard.
Sadly she is said to have descended into "psychosis" and "despair" towards the end of her life, according to
Orchids are particularly sensitive to stress and being excluded in social situations, and the traits can be spotted early on.
One sign is “being particularly responsive to physical stimuli such as wrinkles in socks.”
WHERE TO GET HELP
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, , 116 123
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