Pushing your shy 1-year-old to meet new
people or play with new toys may make him more reluctant to try novel experiences.
The trick is to give your little one time to experience things at his own pace.
There is a third major definition of
temperament: the slow-to-warm-up child. This child is perfectly happy and well
adjusted, but he needs to proceed with new activities and interactions with new
people at his own deliberate pace. This is perfectly normal. Pushing your shy
1-year-old to play with a new neighbor or to clamber onto the community fire
truck may make him only more reluctant to try novel experiences.
If your child fits this description, you
have to walk a fine line, respecting his initial reluctance to step forward and
participate in life without inadvertently reinforcing his hesitation. Let him
take a new experience at his own pace, but gently make him understand that if
he waits too long, it may be too late for a ride on the swing or a taste of the
new flavor of ice cream or a turn to play the drum. Whenever possible, let
another child or another family member go first. If he sees you having fun as
you cruise up the block on your new bicycle, he may be ready to ride in his
safety seat (with a helmet) sooner than if you had tried to strap him in
without showing him what a bike ride is all about.
Give your child time. If you are trying out
a new Saturday-night babysitter, pick her up a half-hour early and let her
spend some time with your child while you're getting ready to go out. Better
still, have a new sitter come for the first time when you will be staying at
home. Play with the sitter and your child for a while, then busy yourself with
something nearby, and finally leave them alone together once it seems that your
child is feeling comfortable.
Eventually, your respect for your child's
individual style of behavior will boost his self-esteem, and this in turn may
make him more eager for new experiences.
https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/social/shy-toddlers/
Eventually, your respect for your child's
individual style of behavior will boost his self-esteem, and this in turn may
make him more eager for new experiences.