Work with your child’s natural shyness to improve coping skills.
Every child has bashful moments. Some kids, though, are shy.
Can you simply let your child be shy, or do you need to "bring them out?"
“You can do both,” says Christopher Kearney, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
A shy child may not become a social butterfly, Kearney says. “But you can still help them learn how to function in social settings and build relationships.”
How shy is too shy?
In general, there’s nothing wrong with being shy. Shy kids are often better listeners and get in less trouble at school.
Being bashful becomes a problem when it gets in the way of doing what’s normally expected, or when it’s making your child unhappy. You may want to get professional advice if your child:
- Doesn’t want to go to school
- Has trouble making friends
- Frets about going to birthday parties or sports practice
- Has anxiety about being shy
What causes shyness?
Shyness is pretty common. It’s estimated that between 20% to 48% of people have shy personalities.
Most shy kids are simply born that way, although negative experiences can also play a role. Did your child’s shyness come on suddenly? If so, an event might have triggered it, and they may need help getting past it.
Embracing the shy personality
Some traits are often seen in shy children.
“Once you recognize these natural behaviors, you can work with them instead of against them,” says Bernardo Carducci, PhD, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast.
Shy kids are typically self-reliant, thoughtful, and empathetic, but often don’t like trying new things. They are often slow to warm up, taking longer to adjust to a new situation. They may want to be social, but avoid approaching others because they’re afraid or don’t know how.
It’s important that they approach situations at their pace, not your own, Carducci says.
Tips for helping a shy child
Here are some tactics to help your shy child in social situations:
Provide an entry strategy. Help your child approach a group of peers and listen, allowing everyone some time to get used to each other. Teach them to find a break in the chatting and join in. Offer them talking points beforehand, such as, “I like boats, too.”
Build confidence. Remind them of a time when they were in new situations and got through it. When going to a birthday party, for example, bring up another party you went to and how much fun they had with the other children.
“Help them through challenges that are self-reinforcing, so they want to do them again,” Kearney says.
Work on social skills. Give your child chances to practice their social skills whenever you can. In the store, encourage them to pay the cashier. At dinner, have them order their own meal. Invite a friend over to play so they can get more practice being with peers.
Offer feedback. Praise or reward your little one for small steps, like saying “hi” or waving. If they freeze up in front of someone, talk about it. Discuss things they can try next time.
Express empathy. Tell your child that you can see they're feeling shy, and that you feel that way too sometimes. Share stories about times when you overcame your own shyness.
Model outgoing behavior. When you show your child how to greet people, converse, and be friendly, they get more comfortable doing the same.
Above all, show love and acceptance. Let them know it’s OK to be shy.
source : Child Shyness: Help Your Shy Kid
