Shell No! When Your Child is Shy
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At this age, stranger anxiety might kick in, which is perfectly OK. Show a child this age that it's OK to interact with strangers, such as the pediatrician, by chatting with him. It may be frustrating for a mom to watch her shy child take his time answering questions, and Mom may want to jump in and answer for the child. This behavior is a bad idea - it can make the child withdraw further and lose valuable communication skills. Shyness isn't usually a character fault or a "bad" thing, but there are red flags that parents should look for. If a child becomes shy suddenly, then there may have been some sort of incident or problem he experienced. If the child has trouble maintaining friendships or his grades are consistently low, then shyness may be more than just part of his personality. Some kids find shyness a crutch when their self-esteem is so low that they don't want to try new things or try to succeed in school. But if your child has been introverted for most of his life, has a few good friends and seems happy and involved, then "shy" shouldn't be a bad word.
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