Shy 4 year old

Katzy

My little girl is 4 1/2 but is very very shy around people - so shy she won't say hello or anything and if she is given something not even a thanks (this is not beacuse she badly behaved) but give her 1/2 hour on her own u cant shut her up....now i'm not really complaining but she's for shcool in September and i'm just afraid that the other kids won't play with her if she's not very friendly.

I'm just wondering really is there any activites i could get her involved in at this age to help her come out of herself a little (sligo area)

Any advice would be great!!!


Thanks.

di11on

Has she been to play school / montessori / creche?

Our first was quite shy - we sent her to playschool and she came out of herself a lot. Since starting school, she's also goes to drama and ballet - Those things have done a lot for her confidence. But in the end, when we have visitors she doesn't know, or hansn't seen in a while, she can still be hiding behind me!

I believe that environmental factors can only have so much influence. In the end, if your child is not a naturally outgoing child, that's just the way they are and that's ok!

I would do what you can to give her the opportunity to interact with other kids. But by far the most important thing a parent can do, in my opinion, is to nurture a child's confidence and self esteem by continually affirming them and being really positive.

Katzy

Ya Montessoris 2nd year. And is surrounded by kids all day.

Thanks maybe she'll be a quiet one!.......for a while anyways

luckat

Start her out by getting her to say "Thank you" and smile at you when *you* give her something - give her a sweet when she does it, and a big smile back.

When she's used to the concept, move it out through the family, and it'll soon become natural for her to smile and say "thank you".

Cold hard candy is the key - takes the mind off the shyness

(You don't have to keep giving her sweets all the time - you can fade the sweet when it's had the desired effect, though the occasional rewarding sweet slipped to her won't hurt.)

Femelade

My daughter was always very shy..she still is around strangers. Even if we meet her childminder, who she would know fairly well, she gets shy around her..but she's fine when she is in her house. She is in 1st class in school, and i think its only this yr that she has come out of herself a bit..it does take time. but some kids are always going to be shy.

littlebug

my little girl is like that. She's nearly 6 now and just finishing junior infants. She has had 2 years at playschool before that and it didn't make a blind bit of difference... she just is how she is and being a sensitive little soul herself has made her very very sensitive towards others and their feelings which is a lovely quality to have I think. The downside is that she's not good at joining in with a group unless someone asks her to so she tends to play by herself while the others run off in a group doing their thing together. No one picks on her and she seems to get on well with the others and claims to be happy playing by herself I've asked her teacher to keep on eye on the situation but it is a bit worrisome.

I was exactly the same as a child though and I've turned out ok (if a bit nerdish:D)