Being a parent is challenging, and being a responsible parent is entirely challenging. When it comes to raising a child, a parent plays a significant role in equipping them with all the necessary life-skills at different levels of life. Sometimes, it gets exhausting to keep the child on track more so when the child decides to be a bother. As young as toddlers seem to be, they can disturb a parent to appoint or become furious. However, a parent has a responsibility to listen, guide, and direct their children. New engagements like group activities, classes, and birthday celebrations may be intimidating to a toddler. More so, if he is getting engaged for the first time or with unfamiliar faces. Some toddlers will cry out and seek to go back home or spend time with someone whom they know and are confident with.
1. Select your class time wisely.
For your toddler to participate in group activities, consider taking him to other toddlers of his class. If your toddler is at his initial stages of mentioning some words, then take him to that group. Otherwise, taking him to the too young or a bit older will make him uncomfortable. Again, your toddler should not be too tired or too sleepy for him to fit in a particular class.
Get ready for new experiences. Sometimes you find yourself traveling to a new place with your toddler. The fact is your kid will need some other kids to socialize with, just like you do. Therefore, you have to prepare the mind of your child. You can achieve the idea by downloading some images of the expected venue, or if possible, ask for the photographs of the toddlers you will be meeting there. By so doing, you familiarize your child with the future meetings, and thus he will not find it as new.
2. Let your toddler watch from the sideline.
The first time everything needs emotional preparation, and so is visiting a new environment. Shy kids will completely isolate themselves from other children. To prevent shyness, a parent should let the child watch the activities first, and once he is convinced they are no longer strangers, he will join the activities. In the case of a class group activity, your child may lack the confidence to join the other member either because he has no content or he has been provoked lately. To overcome such, a parent should take charge in ensuring the child compensate for the missed classes, or if bullied, he has never grouped with them again.
3. Avoid forcing participation.
As a parent, you should be a source of relief and rescue to your child. Verbal or physical threats will not see your child join group activities genuinely. Alternatively, be calm and give calculative directions to your child. Once you realize the toddler is not willing to engage in a certain event, provide an option, and maybe persuade them to join others later.
4. Occasionally let them stay with help.
Have you ever noticed your babysitter and daycare service providers tell you something different from what you know about your child? Have you not heard how your son or daughter plays with other age-mates in your absence? The answers show how toddlers feel free in the absence of their parents. It is therefore advisable for the caregivers to spend some days with your daughter. No sooner than later, you shall realize the one-time shy child is the storyteller in the village.
5. Identify group leaders in the class.
Group leaders are often active, bold, and talkative individuals, and due to such, they receive the type of roles. The best person to put in charge of your toddler is the one who is in charge of the entire group. Developing a relationship between your child and the leader of the group will give him confidence and safety amidst other toddlers. The shy child will sooner become more confident and want to emulate the traits of his leader. The experience can be more productive than any parent could imagine.
6. Praise your kid in public.
Frequently talk about how disciplined, bold, and active your daughter is in her presence. The moment she hears those words, she will want to do what you believe in. In an attempt to please you, she will gain confidence, which in this case, was your aim. Do not insult, beat, or scorn her in the presence of other children. By doing so, you will be lowering her self-esteem and ego. It will result in shyness and fear of the replica; thus, your child opting to remain silent.
7. Promise rewards and honor them
Most children will obey instructions once they are promised something in return. As a parent or a guardian, you do not need to make the promises for many days, but few occasions are enough to get the child used to group activities. Make sure you keep the promises to gain the confidence of the toddler. However, once your child realizes that you were not truthful, he will never trust you again, thus losing the opportunity to shape his public confidence. The gift will have further future memories to the child hence wanting to do more. You might hear your child ask you for permission to join the rest in playing, and in return, you buy her a gift.
Conclusion
Every child should be given an equal opportunity to show their potential regardless of their social lives. Parents should show special care and concern to specific toddlers who show the signs of weakness in relating to others in a group. Moreover, parents and guardians need to be patient with the toddlers and give them time to develop the lacking skills such as those of group involvement. A parent who attempts to use the discussed measure will make positive observations in the life of his toddler. However, if there are no signs of impotent, a parent should take the toddler to a medical examiner for a checkup. The child may sometimes have a mental condition that can merely be eliminated by such simple steps.
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