“Orchid children” and “dandelion children” — in a figurative sense, this refers to sensitive children and to children who are resilient to outside influences.
About one child in five is more impressionable, more easily hurt, gets tired and overwhelmed more quickly, and is more quick-tempered than their peers. This is simply how their neurophysiology is built. These children's reactions to their environment are far stronger than those of dandelion children. This is linked to the heightened sensitivity of their sensory organs. For every child, this shows up as a particular, individual reaction to outside stimuli, but the level of receptivity in such children is always very high.
Orchid children may complain that their clothes itch or scratch, that food is too spicy, or that they hear sounds others can't (like the buzzing of a light bulb). They're often prone to allergies and skin problems.
They may seem inattentive, but in reality they have to process too many signals at once, and this leaves them overwhelmed. These children will take longer to learn to manage their impulses and control their behavior.
Thanks to their ability to take in a great deal of information and react strongly to various stimuli, orchid children can actually do better in learning than dandelion children.
Adults may say that an orchid child is “making a mountain out of a molehill,” overdramatizing the situation. But the child is simply reflecting the true depth of their inner world.
Raising a child who reacts intensely to everything, compared to other children, can be a real challenge for adults. They may blame themselves for the child's behavior, treating what is actually a feature of the child's neurophysiology as a parenting mistake. What helps is that, as a rule, one or both parents may also have a high level of sensitivity themselves, which gives them the ability to understand their child.
Every child needs care and love, but an orchid child needs an understanding, caring adult especially strongly. Given the right support, these children show remarkable success in every area of their lives.
¹ Boyce, T. (2014). Orchid Children and the Science of Kindness.
² Ellis, B.J., Boyce, W. T. (2005). Biological sensitivity to context: Empirical explorations of an evolutionally-developmental theory. Development and Psychopathology. V. 17, (2), pp. 303-328.
