My DD (only just 2) is shy and when it first started happening and she wouldn’t talk to relatives she hadn’t seen in a while I’m sure I said to people that she was just a bit shy. I said this infront of her without thinking she would pick up on it (I know, I underestimated as I think of her as my baby still!)
I quickly realised that probably wasn’t a great idea to be labelling her and stopped doing it. But I find everyone else does this too now, “awh, you’re just being shy aren’t you” etc
A month or so ago I was talking to DD and DS about how she’d love the preschool he goes to. She just came out with “I’m shy”. I nearly got emotional as couldn’t believe she just came out with that from nowhere and how she went to thinking about how she’d be shy with new people when we were trying to get her excited about preschool.
Then tonight a delivery man came to the door and she stayed back, then as he was leaving she said “I’m a bit shy”
To be fair, she is and that’s totally fair in those scenarios. But I’m thinking it’s not a great thing that she’s describing herself as such?!
I don’t make a big deal and talk around it - like, you’ll make friends at preschool / that’s ok we don’t know delivery man etc
Any tips re what to do would be gratefully received!
My DS wasn’t like this and I’ve always been fairly shy and know how frustrating it can be, so would feel awful if I’m contributing to it!