My little one is currently 14 months. She's always been quite ‘serious’ when we’re out and about, but at home she's the happiest, most playful child – full of giggles and energy. She doesn’t usually smile at strangers and tends to be quite reserved in unfamiliar settings.
She’s very inquisitive and observant – always taking everything in and watching what’s going on around her. Sometimes, though, she can seem a bit overwhelmed in busy or noisy environments, especially if there’s a lot happening at once.
We’ve been going to the same weekly baby class since she was 6 weeks old – it’s a singing and signing class where we all sit in a circle. Even after all this time, she still doesn’t seem completely at ease there. While other children her age are confidently crawling or walking into the middle of the circle, she prefers to stay close to me. Last week, another little girl tapped her arm and she burst into tears.
I was quite shy as a child myself, although I think people would probably describe me as confident now. I’m consciously avoiding using the word shy with my daughter – I see it as an emotion rather than a fixed personality trait, and I remember how being labelled as shy made me feel growing up.
I’m a very responsive parent, so she knows she’s safe and secure with me – but I’d love some ideas for how I can encourage her to explore and feel more confident in group settings without pushing her too much.
Has anyone else experienced something similar?