X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • SPF 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Aptamil
    • Immunity
    • Intelligence
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • VIP

Dealing with a shy child

4 min read
Dealing with a shy child

Shyness is a child's normal response to new or unfamiliar situations. With the right approach, your child's shyness can be relieved.

How to handle a shy kid<!--first-para-->

How to handle a shy kid

Shyness is a child’s normal response to new or unfamiliar situations. But usually as they gain experience with new social experiences, they warm up and become more sociable. Children who are shy will usually avert their gaze or remain silent when being spoken to. Young children will even pull away and suck their thumbs as this is their way of coping with the new social situations. Also, they will usually have both negative and positive feelings towards towards a person or situation which is why they can be simultaneously wary and interested in unfamiliar social experiences.

However, children who are extremely shy have an exaggerated sense of themselves, making them painfully aware of the people around them. They feel as if everyone is watching their every move, just waiting to pound on them when they do something wrong. They are usually worried about what other people think or say about them. This type of children usually have a very poor self-image and most of the time, are unable to build close relationships.

Nature vs. Nurture

Experts say that shyness can be both hereditary and nurtured. You may have noticed that there are some children who are more shy than others. Some children are only shy in certain contexts while others are always shy no matter what the situation may be.

Some researchers argue that shyness is picked up by children in their homes. They say that this is primarily due to the fact that cultural and family background provide models for social behaviour. Some children who are called “shy” by their parents will usually grow up fitting the label.

A number of studies prove that shyness can also be hereditary. Researchers have found out that very shy children have less stable heart rates and blood pressure than those who are uninhibited. Patterns of shyness have been found to be linked with personality development during toddlerhood.

Tips for Dealing With Shyness 

1. Accept your child for who he or she is. Show respect for your child by accepting both his/her strengths and weaknesses. Strive to build a close relationship with your child by acknowledging his/her feelings and interests.

2. Understand the nature of your child’s shyness. Try to determine when and where your child usually becomes shy. Then, seek ways on how you can help your child overcome his/her shyness in these situations.

3. Build your child’s self-esteem. Constantly encourage your child by praising him/her whenever he/she accomplishes something. This will help boost his/her self-image. Also, make him/her understand that he/she will always be accepted. Avoid giving harsh criticisms as they can only make your child feel rejected.

4. Encourage your child to engage in social activities. Allow your child to grow socially by seeking out activities that he/she will be interested in. You can enroll him or her in a play school or in an extra-curricular course. Make sure that your child is involved in activities that require interaction. Avoid activities that will keep him/her  isolated such as watching television or playing video games.

5. Allow your child to adjust to new situations in his or her own pace. Do not force your child to be in a social situation that he or she doesn’t want to be in. Cajoling your child into social interaction will only make things worse. Just wait for him/her to warm up to a situation.

Be a role model. Make sure that you yourself has a healthy image of yourself. If you exhibit shyness yourself, then it would be hard for your child to overcome inhibition.

Keep in mind that shyness is not a disease. It is a normal mechanism that your child uses to adapt to new social experiences. With the right approach, your child’s shyness can be relieved.

Partner Stories
Boost Your Toddler's Intelligence: The Surprising Link Between Immunity and Learning!
Boost Your Toddler's Intelligence: The Surprising Link Between Immunity and Learning!
To The Mum Anxious About Her Toddler’s Health…
To The Mum Anxious About Her Toddler’s Health…
If You Want to Raise a Confident, Intelligent and 21st Century-Read Child, It Starts with Supporting Brain Development 
If You Want to Raise a Confident, Intelligent and 21st Century-Read Child, It Starts with Supporting Brain Development 
When developmental delays happen to your child: what you can do
When developmental delays happen to your child: what you can do

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Karen Mira

  • Home
  • /
  • Toddler
  • /
  • Dealing with a shy child
Share:
  • Whenever Somebody Tries To Talk To Him, My Baby Hides His Face!

    Whenever Somebody Tries To Talk To Him, My Baby Hides His Face!

  • How to parent a shy child

    How to parent a shy child

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

    STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

  • Whenever Somebody Tries To Talk To Him, My Baby Hides His Face!

    Whenever Somebody Tries To Talk To Him, My Baby Hides His Face!

  • How to parent a shy child

    How to parent a shy child

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

    STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.