overcoming shyness

[southeastastra]

my ds(7) is very shy at school, scared to talk to teachers/put his hand up etc.

i was exactly the same and feel i suffered through it. how can i help him?

I'd try and bolster friendships, by after school play dates, etc to give him confidence. Talk to teachers too - make sure they understand, so are sympathetic and don't push him in the wrong way. If they're any good they should have noticed it, but still make sure they do. But mostly just accept he is. He'll be hugely reassured by you saying you understand and also think of positives to tell him how you coped. I remember my parents (lovely as they were/ are), constantly pushing me to be more assertive and not once saying it's okay to be shy. Really narks me looking back on it.

thanks smee, i didn't have many positives to being shy though whilst at school, was only when i reached my 20s that i got slightly more confident and still have days where i don't want to talk to people.

how did your parents push you to be more assertive? my parents just let me get on with it iirc!

Sorry, only just saw you'd asked me a question..! Unfortunately my parents didn't encourage me really, they just told me not to be so silly, which of course made me feel even worse and more shy. Not a method I'd recommend