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Kids are shy. We all know that. It’s not really something you can do anything about, unless you have a kid who is naturally outgoing and loves meeting new people. But for the majority of kids, it’s just going to be a part of life from then on. In order to make your child less shy, you should look at why they are so introverted in the first place. Shyness can develop from a variety of different things as well as have different causes. It could be because of your child’s past experiences or something that they have yet to experience that will cause them to withdraw even more into themselves in the future. Thankfully, there are ways to help your kid feel more comfortable around others and still maintain their personality and interests as an individual too.
Get to know your shy kid better.
It’s important to know your child better in order to understand why they are shy. If you know that they have a traumatic past, or they may be shy because of their lack of opportunities, then you can work on finding one-on-one activities that will help them enjoy themselves and feel more comfortable around others. You can do things like take them to a museum, the zoo, or play sports with them. There are also websites that list many different activities for kids who are socially anxious such as this one: http://www.easyadventures.com/family/shy-kids-activities/.
Be consistent.
Kids will often find that weekends are the best days for them to socialize. This is because they don’t have to live up to an expectation from their parents or peers and can just relax and be themselves. It’s easy to slack off on this kind of stuff during the week, but you should make sure you have some consistency in your kid’s life so they can get used to it without any worry.
Help them see their value.
One of the best ways to help your shy child feel less shy is to help them see their value. By showing them examples of what they are capable of, they will feel better about themselves and eventually be able to make friends more easily. Try this: Instead of asking your child “Why do you think people are mean to you?” ask “What can you do that makes people like you?” Your child may not be aware of some of the things they can do that make people like them, and when they learn that, it will make them feel much better about themselves.
Help them build confidence.
Helping your child feel confident about themselves will help them overcome their shyness. As someone who is shy, your child will have less insecurities and be more open to meeting new people or exploring new things that they never thought they would. You can help your child build confidence by praising them for the things they do well and helping them build on those strengths when possible. For example, if your child plays volleyball, let them know how good you think they are at it so they feel proud of themselves.
Teach them how to be assertive.
One way to help your child feel more comfortable around others and make them less shy is to teach them how to be assertive. This can be done through a variety of different methods, but one of the most effective is through modeling by parents. By modeling a confident stance in front of your child, you are setting an example for them on what it means to confidently express their needs and wants in any given situation. It may seem like a big undertaking at first, but once they see that you are willing to put yourself out there and take risks, they will be more likely to do so too. You can also start small with things like making eye contact with other people and speaking up when you want something. These non-threatening actions will build your child’s confidence slowly over time as they see that they are capable of doing these things on their own without hesitation or worry.
Conclusion
One way to help your shy kid feel more confident is to help them build the skills they need to be assertive.
