Karen Turner PHD | Baby Boomers Guide to the Shy Child
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Baby Boomers Guide to the Shy Child

Baby Boomers Guide to the Shy Child

Baby Boomers and Shy Grandchildren

Baby Boomers and Shy Grandchildren

Psychological Articles by Boomeryearbook.com

Shyness can be heavy cross to bear, especially for children. The outward signs of shyness can cause unimaginable stress to the sufferer: the red cheeks; the sweating palms; stuttering and in extreme cases, an inability to speak coherently. Baby boomers involved with shy children can impart confidence and security, making the discomfort of shyness something that can be tolerated if not eliminated.

When first meeting a child who suffers with shyness, baby boomers might feel tempted to try to reassure and explain that there is no need for the child to be uncomfortable in any way. Unfortunately, this well meaning explanation might have the exact opposite effect of the one intended and make the poor child even more uncomfortable. It is the attention being paid that the child finds difficult to cope with. And in fact the child is more likely to fit in if you ignore him or her to some extent in the first minutes of meeting.

Baby boomers are possessed of a natural perception when it comes to making someone feel at home. They are practiced at forming a welcoming committee and seldom get it wrong when it comes to being sociable. However, in the case of shyness it is possible to overdo the social graces and make the child wish he had stayed well out of your way.

The best way to deal with shy children, for baby boomers or anyone else, is to minimize their presence and allow them to come forward out of their shyness when they feel ready to be included. That is not to say they should be marginalized or made to feel an outsider. There is a fine line between giving a child the space to gather composure and making them feel unwelcome.

In situations where a great deal of noise is being made, shy children suffer agonies of insecurities and prefer to hover on the edge of fun. This is the time when baby boomers might exert a little diplomacy and draw a shy child into a friendlier circle, taking care not to create an atmosphere the child might find intimidating or frightening. If possible, speak to a shy child at eye level rather than talk down. Baby boomers are old enough to be scary to a small kid in the throes of anxiety, so level speaking will assure the child you are not a threat and in fact are there to help.

Once you have cracked the hard shell that a child builds to protect himself from being invaded by nosey baby boomers, you can work on a program to build further confidence by involving other children in games and interests. Try to avoid allowing the child to anchor onto your side in the future, as this can be equally harmful.

This Psychological Article on Baby Boomers Guide to the Shy Child is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of boomers psychological coaching tips and how to alleviate elderly problems. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook is a Social Network and Psychological Articles for Baby Boomers. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join other Baby Boomers to stay informed, receive weekly Newsfeeds, and let your opinions be heard. Baby boomers changed the world. We’re not done yet!

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