Shyness is not a new notion but is slightly misunderstood. Every person might have felt ambivalent or self-conscious while being in new social encounters. But still, some people fail to understand the concept of shyness. More often than not it is misinterpreted by society. A teen who is shy is mostly perceived as less confident, weird, rude, and dumb by the others. Some may even think he/she has autism or no friends at all. Even normal teens, who become slightly uncomfortable while facing a new situation, can be considered shy by others when in reality they might be not. So, shyness is an emotion which is little understood and cannot be perceived in a correct way.

Shyness to some extent is considered normal especially when your teens find themselves in new social situations. However, your teen might be at risk when he/she doesn’t feel comfortable or normal even after spending some time with new people. Some teens act shy because they do not know what to say most of the time. They feel if they talk to someone they’d say the wrong thing and embarrass themselves. Therefore, they think it’s better if they don’t say anything at all. On the other hand, some parents assume shyness is common in teenage years and their teens will grow out of it once they step into adulthood. This assumption is wrong on their part because sometimes parents have to take some proactive steps and help their teens come out of their shells. If parents neglect their teens’ behavior and do nothing to make them feel confident about themselves, chances are, teens might not be able to become socially responsible towards everything as they grow up into adults. Lack of confidence and courage will make them socially awkward, as a result, they won’t be able to deal with their problems.

Tips on Helping Your Teen Overcome Shyness

Understand Your Teen

Before you start teaching your teen a lesson, make sure you understand him/her. By showing sensitivity towards your teen’s interests and feelings you will be able to build a healthy bond with the child and prove them that you respect his/her choices. When you fully know and understand your teen, he/she will start feeling more confident and less self-conscious.

Develop Self-Esteem

Shy teens may lack social skills and have poor self-images and because of this reason, they feel they won’t be accepted by peers. Being a parent, you can boost their self-esteem by making them believe they are worth it. Empowering them with independence and praising them often will definitely make them feel about themselves. Teens who feel confident and motivated are not likely to be shy.

Encourage Social Skills

Starting from younger years, parents should encourage their children to develop social skills. They should be taught to be friendly with new people and also take initiative while starting a conversation with the other person. Reinforce shy teens for social behavior and encourage them to take the initiative. They can get past shyness by mingling with new groups of peers and spending more time with them.

Let Your Shy Teen Warm Up to New Situations

In an attempt to make your teen become socially proactive, some parents start pushing them to situations which they see as threatening. This will certainly not help them develop social skills. In fact, teens will feel inhibited and hesitate to come out of their shells. To lure their teens into new social encounters, parents should make them feel secure and enlighten them with benefits of socializing by giving out examples.