If you are a parent, it can be a struggle to deal with a shy teen. On one hand, you want to help your child to overcome their shyness so that they can start to live their life to the fullest. On the other hand, you don't want your child to think that there is something wrong with them if you confront them about it and you don't want them to become even more self conscious because you said something to them. If you are dealing with a self conscious teen, here are some tips to help you out.
It Is Okay To Come In Second
One thing that is typical of shy kids is their desire to come in first all of the time. This doesn't mean that they will be overly competitive, and it doesn't even mean that they will tell you that this particular activity is something they want to be good at. What it does mean is that shy kids tend to take it really hard when they don't come in first place all of the time.
Instead of trying to cheer your child up about not winning or not getting an A on that paper, look at what they did well and really praise them about that. Show them that you will be proud of them no matter what and that it is okay if they don't come in first place all of the time. You may think that failure will destroy your teen - after all, if you allow him or her to fail, won't that destroy his or her self-confidence? Surprisingly, failure can be an opportunity - it's a chance to self-assess and ultimately build self-confidence.
Teach Your Teen the Tools To Overcome Shyness
This is a tough one, especially when you don't want to talk to your teen about their shyness for fear of making them feel bad about themselves. But there are many sneaky ways that you can help to give your child the tools they need to grow.
For example, when they find something that they really seem to enjoy, (no matter how you or the people around him/her feel about it), try to get your teen involved with a group that shares the same interests. So if your child is into designing comics, look online to see where aspiring comic book artists like to learn and then look for something close to where you live.
Thanks to the internet you can also encourage your child to connect with other comic book artists on social networks and from there you can look for social networking groups that are geared towards teens who are into comic book art. Of course, when you are dealing with the internet you want to make sure that you carefully monitor everything and everyone your child is having contact with.
Teach Your Child To Accept Personal Responsibility
At one time or another, we have all dealt with that parent, the one who doesn't think that their child can ever do anything wrong. This is the parent who will be up in the coaches face at a sporting event or will make excuses for their child whenever they are in trouble.
Are you that parent? It is hard to think about, I know. No one wants to think of themselves as that parent. But sometimes we love our kids so much that we don't even realize that we are that parent. It is very important that you allow your child to stand up for themselves and stand on their own feet when it comes to peer situations. This is the only way that they will be able to overcome their shyness and move into a successful adulthood.
Yes, if you feel that your child is being severely bullied or they are involved in physical altercations it is your job as a parent to step in. But other than the most extreme cases, your child will learn to deal with their social situations on their own.
As a parent, you never want your teen to struggle. Dealing with a shy teen is no different. Following these tips will help your teen start to overcome their shyness in no time.