Dealing with the Painfully Shy Child

Dr. Swallow, the author of, The Shy Child: Helping Children Triumph Over Shyness, states, “Although we often think of shyness as a social handicap, shy children tend to grow up into sensitive, empathetic adults. They have such a rich internal world.  They spend time analyzing why people do the things they do, and they have wonderful imaginations.” Shy preschoolers can find social situations very stressful. These children can be quite talkative in the privacy of their own homes but become insecure in the outside world. Most shy children are born that way and an oversensitivity to new people and situations has been linked to genetics.Because shy preschoolers need lots of encouragement, planning  playdates will take extra preparation. There is no simple way to get a shy child to come out of her shell.  “If you push too hard, your child will resist even more.”

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