It’s natural for children to feel shy around other kids. Some kids are born with confidence and can make friends quickly, and some take a little bit of time until they find the right people for them. Childhood shyness is common, but it concerns many parents because they only want their child to have friends. Here are a few ways to help your child overcome their shyness.

Start with a Conversation

Having a conversation with your kids about shyness and fears can be helpful. Talking to them about how great they are and reminding them that they are fun, worthy, and amazing is a great step for them to build confidence within themselves. The more empowered they feel, the more hope they will have that they will overcome their shyness little by little.

Comfort Them

Sometimes kids may feel frustrated and sad because of their shyness. While you can’t fix their shyness for them, what you can do as a parent is to comfort them and show sympathy. Take time to let them know that it is okay to feel sad. Sometimes taking time to talk about feelings is the right step to overcome shyness. Remind your child they can do anything if they put their mind to it.

Share Your Experience as a Child

Sharing your own personal experiences from childhood can help your children know that they’re not alone. It might inspire them to do whatever their parents did when they overcame their shyness. Showing empathy helps them realize that there are other children who are shy like them, and can take baby steps to overcome it.

Help Your Child Make New Friends

Introducing your child to new kids is a great way to safely remove them from their comfort zones. This will give other kids an idea of what kind of person your child is, since they may have been afraid to ask. As a result, your child may become friends with the other children and want to spend time with them.. It helps to push your child to realize that they don’t know what is going to happen unless they go for it. This is a step forward in helping children overcome their shyness.

At Lake Forrest Prep, we support all children who attend our school. As a leading Orlando private school, we want every student to feel welcome, even if they’re a little shy at first. To learn more about what sets us apart from other area schools, schedule a tour online or give us a call at 407-331-5144.