“Is your child shy?”
If you know a shy child, and have been asked that question, you probably know how uncomfortable it can make you feel. Raising a shy child can be challenging; the more outgoing children seem to have it so much easier. But remember that your shy child is capable of incredible things and being shy is in no way a weakness.
Here are some things you can do to help a shy child:
- First off, don’t label your child as shy. If someone does ask if your child is shy, say that he or she is just not feeling that talkative right now.
- If your child feels uncomfortable in large gatherings or social situations, try going a little earlier. That way he/she has time to get comfortable and can maybe build an individual connect with one or two people before the group gets larger.
- Practise social skills with your child. Enact role plays where you can pretend you’re in a social situation. Ask your child to practise greeting someone or making small talk.
- Encourage all the other aspects of your child’s personality. Maybe he or she is incredibly creative, helpful or perceptive. Focus on that and don’t let shyness overwhelm you.
- Remember that your shy child wants to be involved too. It can be very difficult to understand a shy person especially when you may not be shy yourself, but for someone who is shy, it is genuinely difficult to just go up to people and talk or to be confident in social situations. Empathize with your child and help them, they want to belong too.
Have you ever struggled with raising a shy child or been shy yourself? Drop us a line in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!