Helping Your Shy Child Thrive In & Out of School

Late October can be a telling time of year when it comes to gaging your child's social/emotional health and personality this school year. By this point, most kids have gotten to know their teacher and settle in with their new set of classmates, and hopefully made a few good pals. But it can be a different story if your child is shy and struggles to speak up in class or make close friends. 

Shyness is fairly common in kids, especially cautious preschoolers and kindergarteners and privacy-craving tweens and teens. Is shyness something parents should worry about? In most cases, no. Your child might just need a little bit of help boosting his self-confidence, making connections with new friends, and shaking off any lingering back-to-school jitters -- not to mention plenty of communication between parent and teacher. (Hint: Avoid labeling your child as "shy" because he may feel trapped by the label of may hide behind it to avoid developing socially.) 

Shyness becomes more of a serious concern when your child shows signs of painful shyness or social anxiety, such as canceling or avoiding events and social activities, having few or no friends (when he reaches school age), and experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety (tummy aches, sweating, and a racing heartbeat). 

We've pulled together some age-by-age tips to helping your shy child, from the timid toddler years on up to the tricky teen years. Also, check out these additional resources on kids' social and emotional development

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