My Son Is Terribly Shy, What Can I Do To Help Him?
Q. “I have a 7-year old son who is so shy he will hardly talk to anyone outside of our family. How can I help him?”
A. Some children are naturally slower than others to warm to people. Still, they can usually learn to overcome their fears and become less anxious. You have to take one step at a time, starting from where they are, and building on each success.
Find activities which he can enjoy and succeed in. The more he sees himself as being good at things, the more confidence he will have – and also the more he will have to talk about. If these activities involve other people all the better. Don’t force him to go, but don’t let him off the hook too easily either. Many kids refuse to go to things even when they know they will love it when they get there!
Plan some social situations that will turn out to be learning experiences. Start slowly, and build on each one. One example might be, going to a movie with a friend. They can enjoy the experience together but don’t have to engage in conversation. Movies are almost always fun.
Begin by planning easy and structured activities with not very many people. As he becomes comfortable interacting with his friends, then try a more challenging event. Be sure you set levels at which success is a sure thing. That way everyone will be up for doing it again.
Build the social encounters around the activities he enjoys. If it is computer games, then have some friends around (one at first, then more) to play games with him, and talk about the games they are playing.
When you visit adults, you can lead the conversation by telling of your son’s latest exploits on his computer game. Allow him to correct you on details, or to fill in on the intricacies of beating the Bad Boss on level 4. You could prime the adults with suggestions about what to talk about.
If he won’t respond, don’t make excuses for him and never force him to talk. Let him talk, or not talk, as he chooses, and then live with the consequences of his choice. However, you will have more success in getting him to talk if you draw him into conversations with open ended questions such as “How did Mario get lost in the Mansion in the first place?”. Avoid putting him on the spot with closed questions that demand a one word answer, or that are about subjects he dislikes or finds difficult.
It will take time, but your son will find confidence in talking and being around people. Gradually, he’ll take more chances and talk about things he isn’t so sure of. If you help him to make talking fun, then he’ll do it more. Conversely, if it’s hard or embarrasses him, then he’ll do it less.
Finally, don’t call him “shy”. The more he hears you say this, the more convinced he will be that that is just how he is and that he cannot change. In time he might even use this as an excuse: “I can’t do that – I’m too shy!” Instead, emphasise his positive qualities – his gentleness, kindness, politeness etc.
It will take a while, but if you keep being positive with him, he will come out of his shell.
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