How to Help a Child Overcome Shyness

Shyness is simply a fact of life for many children, which can frustrate or worry parents who want their children to learn to adapt and be successful in life. While your child will ultimately be who he is and you should accept him as such, there are ways you can help him overcome some of his shyness. Changes will not happen overnight, but you should certainly see some progress.

Instructions

  1. Overcoming Shyness

    • 1

      Talk to your child about his shyness. If you talk about a time you were shy but overcame it, as well as the benefits of engaging with others, your child is more likely to want those desirable outcomes and act toward them.

    • 2

      Avoid labeling your child. If you refer to your child as "shy," or allow others to regularly do so, he will start believing this about himself and possibly act in a way so as to fulfill this label. This labeling does not encourage him to change his behaviors, it merely puts him in a box.

    • 3

      Set goals and be a role model. Measuring progress is a good means of encouragement for a child. Make these goals realistic but slightly challenging -- for instance talking to one or two new people each day -- and reward your child for improvement. Practice the behavior you preach by being outgoing in your own life.

    • 4

      Introduce your child to unfamiliar settings. Life is all about meeting and interacting with new people in different settings and setting the stage for this as soon as possible will help decrease your child's anxiety and shyness more quickly through real-world practice.

    • 5

      Begin the process with a few simple, key steps. Once you've taught your child the importance of interacting, give him the tools to do so. Explore different greetings or compliments he can give another person. Have him practice in front of the mirror to gain confidence.

    • 6

      Encourage your child to join group activities. Sports leagues and other group hobbies encourage interaction and collaboration among many members and are a great way of helping your child combat shyness as well as learn to model behaviors from more outgoing kids.

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