6 yr old DS with terrible stage fright - any ideas?

[howdoo]

DS2 gets awful stage fright - today they are having a Poetry Party in his class - all the parents will go along and one by one the kids read out their poems. DS is terrified - the only thing he can explain is that he thinks the other kids will laugh at him. As someone with a lifelong fear of public speaking (although obv he is not aware of this), I would really like to help him get over this while he is still young, esp as nowadays they seem to do it so much at school.

Do you think he will grow out of it (I never did)? What can I do to help him? He gets in a complete panic and its very difficult to talk him down from it. I've told him that the other kids will be nervous too and we've talked about imagining everyone in their underwear/on the loo, but then the panic takes over.

[Tee2072]

Tell him Sir Lawrence Olivier threw up before every performance his entire career.

Totally normal to be nervous and frightened! Everyone else is also.

Deep breaths, look over their heads if he can't meet their eyes and just remember Sir Lawrence puking his guts out!

[legoballoon]

I would ask the teacher if you DS and other kids who are nervous about public speaking be allowed to go up in pairs and share a reading.

WRT 'will he ever get over it?' - he is only 6, so I don't think it's really an essential life skill at the moment. If he is still mumbling to his shoes when he is 16, then you might have a problem...

[DronesClub]

Can he read to one person - so focus on someone in the audience and ignore the rest? I'd suggest someone other than you unless you are made of steel and don't well up when your kid does something wonderful!!! Maybe the TA would be willing to help and sit near the front?
What have the school suggested - they must get this all the time?

[aitcheff]

My 6 year old DS is also suffering from stage fright. He is a very able child and confident in his own abilities with a firm set of good friends, but he is shy by nature. Last year he was on stage almost throughout the school play and didn't have a problem, but this year he has not slept for two nights, complains of a sore tummy and is scared everyone in the school will laugh at him. :( He has a few lines and is standing up with someone else in his class which to me seems really sensible ... any thoughts?