Child's Shyness Can Be Minimized

The kindergarten teacher says my son doesn't talk enough in class. My daughter, who is in first grade, was shy, too. However, she had a nice kindergarten teacher, made friends and is doing well now. I was wondering if you had any suggestions about how to get my son to open up more to children and his teacher. I'm thinking if we don't make an issue out of it, he might get a teacher in first grade who will help him; or he might outgrow being shy. At home, he talks all the time. - Too Shy Child
Answer: You're absolutely right about not making an issue of shyness. Labeling a child as shy can be damaging to his or her self-esteem. Let's hope that your son gets the same type of sensitive teacher as your daughter did, so he will develop confidence and feel at home in the classroom next year.
It's important to understand that most young children will exhibit some degree of shyness when faced with new situations and meeting new people. Kindergarten is definitely one of those times.
Your child obviously feels very comfortable at home and is not reluctant to talk. You can build upon this strength to help him minimize his shyness in other situations, especially school. Here are some tactics that you can use to help him:
-Have him play one-on-one in your home with a slightly younger child to practice social skills and take on a leadership role.
-Ask friends and relatives to talk to your son about his interests so he will become more comfortable talking to adults.
-Encourage your child's sense of humor. People respond well to those who laugh and smile.
-Enroll your child in a library program or other program with a sibling or close neighborhood friend to help him feel comfortable in a group situation.
-Try to have your child play with children in his class so he'll feel more at home with his classmates.
-Encourage your child to order in restaurants, and let him purchase things in stores so he becomes accustomed to getting his message across to others. You can playact these situations to give him confidence.
-Compliment your child so he will learn how good it feels. And encourage him to give compliments in return.