When do babies become shy

No matter what the explanation for your daughter's shyness, though, the recommendation is the same: Help her feel comfortable in social situations by letting her interact with others at her own pace. Ask visiting friends and relatives ahead of time to approach your daughter slowly and wait for her to reach out to them, rather than vice versa. When it comes to group activities, don't worry if she hovers on the periphery rather than jumping right into a game or activity.

Let her sit in your lap at tumbling class, for example, instead of plopping her down among the other kids. She'll get more satisfaction from participating on her own terms — even if it's just watching from the sidelines — than she will from being urged or cajoled into joining in.

Featured video. Shyness age 2. Shyness ages 3 to 4. A school-age child might avoid answering questions in class, have trouble making friends, prefer to sit back and watch others play, or avoid new activities. All children are different, and some children are more shy than others.

These tips can help. For example, shyness might be a problem if:. Some children who are shy go on to develop anxiety. Skip to content Skip to navigation. About shyness and shy children Shy behaviour is normal in babies and children. Likewise, your preschooler may not think that being shy is a big deal — to him, it's only natural. But if you talk about it as if it's a problem, you'll send a message that suggests there's something wrong with him.

Consider saying, "He likes to take a little while to get comfortable in a new situation," instead of describing him as shy. To gauge your preschooler's ability to socialize, look to her friends.

Does she have any? Does she talk about them? If she always seems to be alone, ask her babysitter or teacher about it. It's possible that you don't see those moments when she's happily interacting. However, if your child's shyness interferes with her ability to go about her day and enjoy herself, talk to her healthcare provider, who may suggest a developmental evaluation. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world.

When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Shyness in children. American Academy of Pediatrics.

How to understand your child's temperament. Painful shyness in children and adults. American Psychological Association. Weir K. Born bashful. Monitor on Psychology 45 10 Join now to personalize.

There may be indications as to which category a child is going to fall into from a young age. There are signs one can spot that may indicate the baby will grow up to be shy, and there are signs she may develop an outgoing personality. Here are ten signs of each. At first it might be done playfully, but then if it continues, it may indicate shyness. Babies reach important milestones at different stages.

Some will learn to crawl and then walk, will learn to talk before others. But it could be an indication that your baby is developing an outgoing personality, or has that outgoing nature naturally engrained within her. If she begins talking sooner than expected, it means she really wants to communicate, talk to people. Shy people are generally quite sensitive. But babies can be sensitive too, all be it in a slightly different way.

Babies can be sensitive about their environment in general. If something new enters their world, they may have a hard time coping, may cry, reach for mom, and could shy away. A baby exhibiting shy characteristics may make a fuss about such things, especially when it comes to people. At this early stage, depending on your thought process, you may think that this is either a good or bad thing. If this continues, is allowed to continue, it could lead to her developing an outgoing personality.

This is one of the biggest indications as to whether or not your little one will end up to be shy. Initially, a lot of babies are quite apprehensive about playing with anyone except mommy and daddy.

You may have baby playdates. When there are toys on the floor and your baby is with another, watch out for her reaction.