Shyness Can be Overcome

07/24/2006

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.
Dale Carnegie

“Scientists have long suspected that genes and environment work together to create a shy child…. However…a study published in the journal Psychological Science [and reported in Preschool Matters (March/April 2006; www.nieer.org) found that children with genetic tendency to be timid do not necessarily become chronically inhibited. Rather, it’s the combination of this inherited trait and the strength of the mother’s support system that determines how outgoing children become.”

A child genetically inclined to shyness, growing up in a stressful home will more likely become shy. “What researchers discovered is that in stressful situations, children with the shyness gene don’t manufacture the chemical antidote — called serotonin — needed by the brain to quell the fight or flight response reaction to stress. The result is shyness…. Not every child with the gene will become shy, nor will every shy child have the gene. But the new findings suggest that by modifying an inhibited child’s surroundings, parents and teachers can help shy children develop better social skills that will lead to greater academic and personal success….

“Because classrooms are often sources of anxiety for shy children, teachers and parents must use different approaches to making sure shy children are included and encouraged…. [S]tart by giving shy children more time to warm up to the idea of an activity. Play to their strengths by picking activities that they have mastered and that put them at ease. Then reassure them by pointing out that they already possess the necessary skills to complete the activity. Once they have acclimated, change one variable at a time, such as introducing a classmate into the activity or doing the project in a new setting.

"Other strategies for teachers include: initiating contact each day, giving children tasks that encourage moving around the room, teaching them how to join a group play, and pairing them with more outgoing children on classroom activities….”

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