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Are you considering prekindergarten for your child? Are you also concerned about their shyness because they haven’t met many other adults and children? Preschool and day care centers can help a child expand socially. Follow these tips to help your shy little one blossom.

Tips to Help a Shy Child

1. Practice on Friends & Family

Before enrolling your child in prekindergarten or day care, expose them to social skills with other family members and close friends. Use family and friends to role play, so your child knows what conversations with new people will be like. Ask them questions about their favorite game and what they like to do. Speak slowly and be patient so your child picks up on social nuances. Praise your little one when they mimic the interactions.

As they become more comfortable socially, have them order at a restaurant. Also, have them practice saying “hi” to strangers at the grocery store. Take them to the mall, a sibling’s soccer game, or other places where there are moderate crowds and noise so they can become accustomed to all of the activity.

2. Tour the Prekindergarten Facility

Before prekindergarten starts, take your child on a tour of the facility so they can meet the teachers and get familiar with the setting. Explain to the child that they will be coming here to play and meet other children as part of being a big kid. Let them examine toys, explore the space, and talk to the teacher. If possible, enroll them in a program where they have a friend or two going as well to help with the transition. Talk with the teacher separately to discuss your child’s shyness, their interests, and ways to help them feel comfortable and draw them out.  

3. Create a Goodbye Routine

prekindergartenDon’t sneak out while your child is occupied when dropping them off at preschool. This can create anxiety and a sense of abandonment. Practice a daily ritual that includes a goodbye and an assurance that you, or another family member, will return. Also, be on time for pick-up, so the child doesn’t feel anxious.

 

Help your little one unfold socially and cognitively at Northern Lights Preschool & Child Care in Anchorage, AK. They offer individualized programs for each student and a weekly lesson plan for every classroom. Whether you need full-time day care or one day a week, Northern Lights has a fun, loving, and professionally staffed option available. Call (907) 274-2040 to schedule a tour or visit the website to explore programs.

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