How to help your shy toddlers to socialise in 2023?

I see a lot of toddlers feeling too shy or uncomfortable interacting with people. The reason could be staying indoors a lot during corona times I faced the same challenge while handling my daughter and I realised that I had to put in some real effort to make sure my daughter feels confident around kids of her age.

So I started jotting down pointers that can help my daughter without becoming a parent who pushes her to make friends or do things she is uncomfortable with.

If you are facing the same, you are not alone!

Here is what can help you

Start taking her out to parks:

I started small, by just taking her out to parks where other kids were present. Trust me she even refused to be present in a park where there were more kids. I still continued with the routine. My takeaway here was to be a lot more patient with her as it really took a long time.

Help them meet and see other toddlers:

My next step was to help her meet and interact with kids of the same age. I started talking to moms of toddlers of the same age group. her initial interactions were limited to hi and hello that too after a couple of days. It also made me realise that I am not the only parent facing this situation. She gradually started enjoying the company of one or two friends. She talked less but this was a huge achievement for me.

Do not push but let them be:

As a mom, there were days when I felt like pushing her to talk and act confident in front of people but then I held myself back. I allowed her to be quiet or just be the way she felt on a particular day. At the same time, I kept her telling them how it is fun to have friends.

Appreciate them if they attempt to make friends:

In order to encourage them to make friends, appreciate their effort to si hello or try to play with a friend. Every time my daughter did something good, I told her how well she did and how much fun she had in the park.

Arrange play dates and games:

I made mom friends and invited them over for a playdate. This allowed my baby to interact with a friend in her new surroundings, so she was more confident in playing and talking.

She improved a lot more when she started going to school. She now has a lot of friends, and she still doesn't talk to everyone but what matters is her every day of improved conversations and interactions.

I hope you found this useful. All the best!