Overcoming Shyness at Day Care for Children

Although your child may be outgoing at home, he might be reserved while attending day care. According to an article on the Illinois Early Learning Project website, children tend to be shy when attending a new child care center. If your child is still hesitant after becoming acclimated to his day care facility, use strategies to help him overcome this shyness before it affects his ability to enjoy games, make friends and participate in learning opportunities.

  1. Involve Day Care Providers

    • Ask the owner or teachers at the day care facility to help your child overcome shyness. The Illinois Early Learning Project suggests asking day care providers to organize small group projects, so your child won̵7;t feel intimidated working as part of a larger gathering; to find ways that your child can use her talents or interests to help another child; and to remind the other children not to tease your child when she̵7;s being quiet and shy.

    Find a Friend

    • Make your child feel more comfortable at the facility by finding him a friend. In an article for the University of New England psychology department, John Malouff, Ph.D., states that once your child makes one friend, he will feel more at ease and might interact more with the other children. Ask the day care provider to help you choose a child who doesn̵7;t already have a close friend at the facility and encourage the two young ones to bond by having them play, share snacks and complete art projects together.

    Ease Interactions

    • Help your child feel more comfortable being around the other children at the day care facility by creating situations to reduce her anxiety. An article on the MetroKids website suggests bringing one of your child̵7;s favorite toys or games to share with the other children. This will not only get the ball rolling, but also keep your child so busy and interested that she won̵7;t feel the need to be nervous. You might also consider inviting some of the children from day care over to your home for a play date to enable your child to initially interact with them in a more comfortable, familiar setting.

    Contact a Physician

    • If your efforts and those of the day care providers don̵7;t seem to be helping your child overcome his shyness, or if your child̵7;s shyness is getting progressively worse in a variety of settings, discuss the situation with your pediatrician. In his article for the University of New England, Malouff notes that your physician may recommend counseling that can reduce your child̵7;s shyness; or develop a plan that includes therapy and medication, if he determines that a condition diagnosed as social anxiety disorder or selective mutism is the cause of your child̵7;s shyness.

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