my 28mo son is VERY sensitive. he doesn't understand enough to feel that way about a song, but he does about some TV shows he watches. sobs the very sad sob if someone is hurt or sad or scared or ANYTHING remotely negative on a TV show. same if he hears people arguing in real life. he's a very sensitive little guy. it's frustrating now and i feel bad for him often, but i think it will serve him well later in life. he's very empathetic and i'm proud of him for feeling so deeply.

 

i was emotionally sensitive as a child through adolescence (i think i'm not nearly as sensitive now, but who knows.) movies and songs would upset me for days while others around me seemed untouched. that made it all the more disturbing to me (the fact that others seemed not to "care.") i would say one of the best things you can do for your children is to provide them with many opportunities to help others. bake cookies for a neighbor. visit a nursing home, etc. i have vivid memories of those kinds of experiences from early childhood. lastly, help your child develop tools to deal with stress: drawing, writing, being physically active,... i can't tell you how much time i use to spend cooped up, crying, trying to figure out how to solve world hunger. (children aren't mature enough to understand there isn't ONE answer to things. i thought, "if only i could figure out that one answer.") sensitive kids think they are responsible for other's happiness. so, if mommy is sad, they think it's their job to make mommy feel better. it's not their job. happiness comes from within, and i never want my son to feel like he has to worry about my emotional wellbeing. these are just some thoughts from a fellow mom who grew up very, very emotional sensitive...

 

My daughter (16 months old) is pretty sensitive. She gets obviously "hurt feelings" if a little friend does something like take a toy from her hands. (I can tell from the way her face crumples and she runs into my arms to cry.) My son, however, was an exceptionally sensitive toddler and remains hugely sensitive (emotionally and physically) as a 5 year old. At 8 months old, he would cry each time he saw a picture of the crying baby in our baby face board book, and by 10 months old, he was hiding the book in my dresser drawer because it made him too sad. He would ask to skip any slow, melodic "sad-seeming" songs on his cds before he was 2 years old. The words didn't matter to him as much as the tune.