12 Tips to Help Your Child Overcome Shyness
Were you shy as a child? Half of all adults think of themselves as shy, and many more say that they were shy as children.
But shy kids
are at a disadvantage in our outgoing, busy culture, because they have
a harder time relaxing and connecting with others. Shyness can keep
kids from learning the social skills that let them be part of a group,
and it can compromise their school performance by making them anxious
about asking questions. Worst of all, shy kids can begin a pattern of
isolation that keeps them from meeting others, beginning friendships
and romances, and simply connecting with other human beings.
Scientists now think that social contact is one of our most important
human needs, positively impacting our emotional and physical health on
every level throughout our lives.
The good news is that shy kids
can learn to manage shyness. They just need a little extra support.
So what’s the best way to help your child overcome shyness?
1.
Nurture your child by noticing her needs and responding to them. Shy
baby chimps given to extremely nurturing mothers became leaders in
their group, while their shy siblings raised by average mothers
remained shy and fearful throughout life. Responsive mothering helps
shy little ones learn to calm themselves and manage their reactions.
That allows their heightened sensitivity to become an asset, because it
makes them more responsive to the needs of their peers and better at
negotiating group situations.
2. Empathize with your child’s
shyness and avoid shaming him. Acknowledging what he feels, without
negative judgment, helps him to feel good about himself. Giving him
the impression that there is something wrong with him will just make
him feel worse about himself, and therefore more insecure and shy.
Empathizing with your child will also help him develop empathy, which
will enhance his social skills and help him connect with others.
3.
Model confident behavior with other people. Kids learn from watching
us. That means being friendly to strangers, offering help to others,
and modeling a relaxed attitude about social interactions of all kinds.
4.
Teach your child basic social skills. Kids often need to be taught to
make eye contact, shake hands, smile, and respond to polite chit-chat
appropriately. Role play with them how to join a game at the
playground, introduce themselves to another child at a party, or
initiate a playdate. Kids who are successful in joining groups of kids
usually observe first, and find a way to fit into the group, rather
than just barging in. Make games out of social skills and practice at
home.
5. Help your child learn how to make friends. Most kids
need to learn social skills, and benefit from a little extra help. I
particularly recommend Lonnie Michelle's How Kids Make Friends: Secrets for Making Lots of Friends, No Matter How Shy You Are
6.
Coach your child to handle teasing and bullying by role playing and
encouraging her to stand up for herself. A terrific book to help you
help your child, offering scripts and strategies, is Scott Cooper's Sticks and Stones: 7 Ways Your Child Can Deal with Teasing, Conflict, and Other Hard Times
7. Don’t label your child as shy. Instead,
acknowledge his feelings and point out that he can overcome his fears.
For instance, “Sometimes it takes you awhile to warm up in a new
situation. Remember Billy’s birthday party, how you held my hand all
through the games? But by the end, you were having lots of fun with
the other kids.”
8. Teach your child effective strategies for
dealing with shyness. The general rule of thumb is to accept the
nervousness that comes up as a part of normal life that affects most
people, reassure yourself that you’re ok anyway, and focus on others
rather than yourself. For instance, remind your child that she doesn’t
have to be interesting, just interested, and teach her to ask other
kids questions and listen to their answers. Brainstorm with her how she
might handle a situation that makes her nervous: “If you feel nervous
at the party today, what could you do to make yourself more
comfortable? Could you hang out with one of the kids you know from
school? Could you offer to help serve the refreshments? What do you
think you might talk with the other kids about?”
9. Provide your
child with daily opportunities to interact with others.
Shy kids need
downtime, of course, but they also need plenty of opportunities to
practice their social skills. And remember that empathizing doesn’t
mean being over-protective. Applaud every little step he takes on his
own.
10. Teach your child that one good friend is worth many acquaintances. Some parents worry if their child isn't the life of the party. But what's important is that your child feel connected, like she has someone she can talk to, or someone he wants to play with at recess. It's not necessary to have a lot of friends, just a few good ones.
11. Don’t create social anxiety by teaching young children to be afraid of strangers. Instead, teach your child that he or she should always be with you, or with a teacher or trusted babysitter. If her special adult is with her, your child doesn’t need to be afraid of strangers. Once she’s old enough to begin walking home from school by herself, you can begin discussing how to keep herself safe.
12. If your child seems generally fearful, consider that she's got some tears and fears inside that need to be expressed. When kids experience something scary and don't feel safe at that moment, the fears get repressed. You can think of this as stuffing them in an emotional backpack, to be processed later. The problem is that humans don't willingly subject themselves to scary feelings. So often those tears and fears stay locked up inside. But since the body knows those emotions need to be felt -- so they can evaporate -- the feelings are always trying to bubble up. Children who are trying to keep fear at bay often become generally fearful and even rigid. If this describes your child, give her daily opportunities to giggle by playing games that dance just on the edge of fear -- bucking bronco rides, for instance. And when she feels safe enough to let those fears surface in tears, welcome her meltdown. On the other side of it, you'll have a less fearful, more flexible child.
