For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a girl of few words. I was an introvert child who used to hide inside trying to avoid meeting any guests and would rather listen to someone talk for hours than actually do the talking. I also had a very selected group of friends. But I am a changed person today and strongly believe that socialisation is very important for everybody. Of course, there are days when I don’t want to interact with anybody but believe that being a hermit always is not a good thing too.
I encourage my daughters to socialise and make new friends by giving my example. I always tell the, ” If I can change, anyone can change.”
Here are some tips to encourage your child to become more social and less introvert-
- Exposure– By exposure I mean, unveiling and uncovering different things for your child to explore. Kids who get a good exposure right from childhood are always more social and outgoing. Make sure to give your kids exposure by travelling, attending events, festivals, food, music, art, books from other cultures too.
- Participate– Encourage your kids to participate in different competitions and contests. It can not only make them more confident but they will surely learn things like team spirit and sharing etc. Make sure to tell them that participation is more important than winning.
- Perform– Make sure to encourage your kids to perform on stage in front of people as this can not only take out stage fear but also boost their confidence. This one is from my personal experience as stage performances made me much more confident in school days.
- Socialisation– It is important for kids to interact not only with their friends but also with others. When kids interact with different people, it helps them to overcome shyness and open up more. As parents, we need to encourage them instead of criticizing them for their behaviour. Let them start by just saying a ‘Hello’ to new friends. Slowly they can start a conversation as they feel comfortable.
- Appreciation- Sometimes low self-esteem and low confidence in kids make them Introvert. It is very important to appreciate and encourage your child whenever possible. As parents, we need to remind them time and again about their good qualities, talents or any such thing which make them different from others.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with Introversion, it simply means one is happy with some alone time rather from social contact. But, for children to manage successfully in society, they must learn to interact with others in a positive and healthy manner.
Do you think your child is an introvert? Is he not social? Is he always hiding from new people? Let me know your experiences below.
November 3, 2016 at 8:51 pm
You are right about ten steps needed to take for making our children more social.It’s important they can interact ,learn and enjoy themselves in school and other places.For that they need to learn to socialize.A very well thought out post.
November 3, 2016 at 9:29 pm
Thanks a lot Amrita. Glad you liked it 🙂
November 3, 2016 at 8:57 pm
True Deepa..it is our duty as parents to watch closely our children and make sure you know how they behave when they are out our home. Great pointers to guide parents to keep a check on their children
November 3, 2016 at 9:34 pm
As a mother..I am trying to teach both my girls to be social. Thanks Menaka 🙂
November 3, 2016 at 9:35 pm
I always admire the way you’re bringing up your daughter’s, Deepa. As you say, it is important for for children to learn to interact with others to make them smarter and more aware people.
Another good post!?
November 3, 2016 at 9:41 pm
Thanks a lot Mayuri for your kind words..I am still learning as a mother ..motherhood has its own challenges 🙂
November 3, 2016 at 10:37 pm
agreed perfect exposure would bring out the hidden personality & qualities of our child & also build confidence
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November 3, 2016 at 11:33 pm
Thanks for reading Bushra 🙂
November 4, 2016 at 12:17 am
I have been recommending my friends to join Toastmasters club…there are clubs for kids too! It’s a very practical way of achieving what you’ve mentioned.
November 4, 2016 at 9:26 am
Agree Alok ..whatever exposure we can give our kids today is good for them and I feel parents can provide good guidance to kids too. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
November 4, 2016 at 11:31 am
I grew up exactly like that. When in a group I just couldn’t muster the courage to participate. I had a very limited set of friends. However over time when I worked across multiple organizations I became more relaxed, confident and close to an extrovert. I believe, if you want then you can!
However we may not be able to see the results immediately in our kids. Some things take years to change and having these guidelines at the back of our head is a step in the right direction
November 4, 2016 at 11:35 am
Agree with you Mandavi..We all are a mix of introvert and extrovert at times. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
November 4, 2016 at 3:01 pm
This is so true in today’s world that an introvert person takes more time to achieve the results than an extrovert or say bold person. Being an introvert is not a crime but yes it’s always good to have friends around and it helps in building confidence as well. Beautifully written post, Deepa!
Bookmarking all these parenting tips for future reference. I know the day is not near but it is not far either (may be after 4-5 yrs). 😉 🙂
November 4, 2016 at 3:29 pm
Thanks a lot Saumy..glad you liked it and all the best for future. My best wishes for you 🙂
November 4, 2016 at 4:00 pm
Totally agree my dear. I Try all of the above with my little boy to the best of my abilities so that he doesn’t grow up to be an introvert.
November 4, 2016 at 7:31 pm
Thanks Roma for stopping by 🙂
November 5, 2016 at 11:16 am
I wouldn’t call myself an introvert or an extrovert – maybe an ambivert. And I generally like to stay away from labels per se – especially when it comes to children. I prefer that they feel comfortable in their skin and don’t feel pressurised to perform a certain way. So I have a kid who is completely at ease in social situations and has a fairly wide circle of friends, and I have another who likes to be quieter and more by himself in a crowd. No sweat! They both have their individuality and as long as it’s not making them uncomfortable or hampering their development – I’d rather not intervene. That’s just my two bits.
November 5, 2016 at 11:49 am
Agree Nidhi. I never label my kids and believe we should not do it but as parents we can try to teach them few things which we feel they should know. Its not about intervening but guiding them in making right decisions without pressuring them. Thanks a lot for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. 🙂
November 5, 2016 at 2:10 pm
I totally agree with your view, Deepa. Children has to get connected with many people to learn, to improve and to make friends. Very useful post for all moms.
November 5, 2016 at 11:39 pm
Thanks a lot Vasantha..glad you liked it 🙂
November 5, 2016 at 5:20 pm
I completely agree with your case for encouraging kids to participate. Sometimes lack of encouragement leads to low confidence and low self esteem in kids. The lowered confidence thus results in an introvert nature in a kid.
November 6, 2016 at 12:29 am
Yes Anupriya..as parents we need to encourage them at every step. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
August 29, 2017 at 10:09 am
One line which I loved from the post is there is nothing wrong with introversion since it is just a classification of how people recharge their batteries. Introverts do it in alone time and extroverts do it while being around people. Another important thing you have mentioned is as parents we need to watch out if the introversion in our children is a result of low self-esteem and low confidence. If this is the case then instead of pointing out the negatives, one must focus on the child’s positive qualities and encourage him or her.