By Sally A 
If you have a shy child, it can be hard to know how to deal with him or her, especially if you have other children who are more confident. Luckily, there are some easy ways to cope with having a shy child.
Introduce them to other children
Encourage your child to interact with other children from an early age, as they can help him or her to develop social skills as early as possible. Examples of this can include toddler groups, or spending time with other children of a similar age. Your child will often develop firm friendships that last for many years as a result of these activities.
Encourage good social skills
Children do not often want to greet unwanted guests, and may go out of their way to be rude or unresponsive, especially if they are unaware of the behavior that is expected of them. Spending some time teaching your child basic social skills (such as saying hello if someone says it first, or making eye contact). If your child is aware of how he or she should react, it is more likely that they will repeat these skills when meeting other people. If your child is too shy to make eye contact, encourage him or her to look at the other person's nose instead. This is less unnerving, and it is highly unlikely that the person in question will even notice the difference. Reward small successes, as your child is more likely to keep up the good work if you encourage him or her to do so.
It is important not to be irritated if your child seems to be failing to develop good social skills. It is especially vital not to let other people know that your child is shy, as this can result in him or her becoming more withdrawn.
Make sure that you are sociable
If your child sees you being sociable to people, it may well encourage him or her to do the same. You can then act as a good role model when you demonstrate to your child about interacting with other people.
Of course, some shy children will remain shy, no matter how hard you try to develop their social skills. If this is the case with your child, it is probably best not to force the issue, as it can end up making them feel even more insecure.
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