We all know someone who is shy-maybe they blush when spoken to, they avoid being the centre of attention and they’re often overlooked.
Many children will go through a period of experiencing shyness, especially if they are faced with a new situation but there are also children that are born shy and will always be shy; it’s just who they are. If you are the parent of a shy child, you will need to teach her ways to overcome it so she doesn’t miss out on opportunities and experiences.
What is shyness?
Shyness is extremely common in children with as many as 20% of them experiencing it. It’s an emotion that causes feelings of self-consciousness, nervousness, embarrassment and anxiety in the sufferer and it effects how she engages with her peers and people all around her. In small children, shyness is often expresses through extreme clinginess and a reluctance to be on her own in social settings. A shy child will often be found on the edge of a group of their peers, wanting to be involved but unwilling to join in and become the focus of attention.
You may notice your shy child doesn’t want to:
- Make eye contact during conversation
- Get involved in games and activities that she is interested in
- Enter places on her own, even ones she is familiar with like the playground or the library
- Be the focus of attention-even when the attention is praise for good work
Good news for shy children:
- They often excel at school because they don’t get involved with classroom disturbances and don’t want to bring unwanted attention to themselves with poor grades.
- They are well behaved
- They are easy to look after and tend to be respectful towards adults
- They are often good friends because they’re not aggressive or competitive.
- They are good listeners.
Bad news for shy children:
- They are often more susceptible to loneliness and unhappiness as a result of their difficulty in making friendships
- They can struggle with low self esteem
- They can be overlooked as they don’t make a fuss and wait patiently for their turn
- Stress and anxiety about impending social situations can result in physical symptom such as upset stomachs and headaches.
- They can miss out on opportunities to be involved in sport, drama, dancing etc. because of their reluctance to put their hand up and be noticed.
- Shyness causes a range of physical effects including blushing, nervous laughter, trembling which can make the shy person feel her shyness even more strongly.
