Of course, many children experience shyness in new situations or when meeting new people. However, if you believe that your child is overly shy, here are some ideas that might help you to make your child feel more comfortable when confronting the unknown.
At Home - Your child might feel overwhelmed if too many children come to your house for a play date. Instead, start with inviting just one child, and make it for a very short stay. For example, you might make cookies with your little son or daughter and then tell your child that a friend is coming to share the treats you have made. Make sure the parent of the invited child understands what you are doing so that the stay won't be too long. When your child sees how pleasant that experience was, he or she will be ready to branch out, either by inviting the same child for a longer visit, or by inviting somebody new or by inviting a larger group.
Away From Home - When you run errands with your child, encourage him or her to interact with others you meet along the way. For example, when you pick clothes up at the cleaners, give your child the money to pay the clerk. Show your child how to always thank people for their help. When you're ordering lunch, ask your child to ask for whatever he or she wants. Of course, at first that might be hard. But, over time it will become easier and your child will enjoy the smiles he or she receives for being such a brave person.
Day Care - One excellent thing you can do for your child is to take him or her to a child care facility. At day care, your child will not only have the opportunity to meet and play with other children, but he or she will learn from them. Taking turns, sharing toys, and settling differences are all made manageable when there is a trusted adult who can step in as a mediator. Choose a child care facility that has very nurturing instructors who will be patient as your child learns to be away from you and away from your comfortable home setting. It is probably a good idea to start your child with just one morning a week at daycare. As your child becomes more comfortable with new friends, increase attendance.
It's important for you to encourage your child to help plan daily activities. Teach him or her that he or she can do hard things. Click here for quality child care or do an online search.
