Your child seems bewildered when you drop them off at preschool. There’s so much noise and activity that your child doesn’t know what to do first. Your child’s world used to be so small, and now there are so many people. You’re tempted to scoop your child into your arms and walk away. Don’t worry. You’re not the first parent to go through this situation at preschool with shy children. While you may be tempted to bring your child home and never look back, shyness in preschoolers doesn’t have to prevent them from getting the full school experience. It may take some time, but soon enough, your child can flourish in preschool. Here’s why.
Confidence Building
When it comes to shyness in preschoolers, their school environment can help them build confidence. What does your child usually do in new situations? If they’re like a lot of other children, they might hide behind your leg, look at the ground, or find other ways to escape. In preschool, your child will need to find ways to cope as an individual. At first, that may involve sitting alone or finding the teacher. With time, though, your child will gain confidence in their own social skills.
Organic Friendships
Preschool is a great place for shy children to make friends. Why? Because it allows them to make friends organically. It doesn’t take much time for young children to become friends, but you can help those friendships grow when you give them activities to do together. When children can focus on play, art, and learning, it takes the pressure off the expectation to make friends. Those friendships can grow naturally, which often helps alleviate shyness in preschoolers.
Social Skill Building
Preschool for shy children teaches all kinds of social skills. Children learn how to share, take turns, handle conflict, and be good friends. Of course, these skills help even the most outgoing children. When it comes to shyness in preschoolers, though, these skills can give your child tangible, practical ways to interact with their peers. When your child can use real skills instead of random guesses, they’ll navigate social situations much more easily than they used to.
Other Skill Exploration
Apart from social skills, preschool helps children build other essential skills, too. They’ll gain literacy skills, math skills, and so much more. What does this have to do with overcoming shyness? It all goes back to confidence and organic friendships. When your child gains new skills, they’ll also gain confidence in those skills, which can help them gain confidence in their social situations. It also gives them more ways to connect to their peers. For example, when two children work together to identify shapes, they have a simple and stress-free way to bond.
Reduce Loneliness
Shyness in preschoolers is very common, but it can sometimes lead to loneliness. Now, if your child is introverted, they may not need much peer-to-peer interaction. Having one or two friends can be plenty. It’s important not to assume loneliness just because a child enjoys being alone. However, shyness can show up in both introverted and extroverted children, and that shyness can prevent preschoolers from gaining the friendships that they crave. Preschool can give your child plenty of opportunities to make friends, thus alleviating feelings of loneliness.
Shyness in Preschoolers
Do you have a preschooler who’s struggling with shyness? Are you hesitant about putting your child in preschool? We understand. However, the expert preschool teachers at Rising Stride Child Care Centers can help your child make friends and gain important social skills. Interested in learning more? Contact us today. At Rising Stride, your child can learn how to thrive.