My six year old daughter does not respond when she is saluted by others. What can I do?

Question

I have a six year old doughter that is somewhat shy to respond to others when she is saluted. She just doesn't respond. She doesn't have very many friends either. Her mother and I are worried because we think it may be caused as a reaction for our way to correct her when she is wrong. I specially am not too patient so that I'm rude with her. We really would like to know how to correct ourselves to be able to help her. Please let us know how. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

She might be autistic. I'd check that out.

Answer 2

Have you been overly zealous in telling her "Don't talk to strangers?"   We are all anxious to keep our children safe, so we emphasize that they should not speak to anyone they don't know well.   Unfortunately, they sometimes interpret this as "Everyone outside my immediate family is a stranger."  Then, they are afraid to return the greeting when others salute them.

Be sure to let your daughter know that if she is with you, it is fine for her to speak with anyone YOU are speaking with.  They are not strangers.  You can also tell her that it's okay for her to get to know other children in her school, so that they won't be strangers either.    This might help a little.

Answer 3

Give her a chance to be herself . . . she's probably afraid of saying or doing something wrong, and is afraid of being yelled at etc. You can explain things in a nicer way when she is wrong... I mean she's only 6, she will make plenty of mistakes growing up, but don't make her feel bad for making them it's human nature, you are not perfect yourself and I am sure you wouldn't like it if everytime u were wrong someone was being rude to you. . . Just be realistic. She's a child and she probably feels everything she does is wrong. Let her be !! let her open up, this will help in the future with her friends as well. She probably thinks everybody is like you and avoids talking to them. . . I don't blame her.

Answer 4

Take your time maybe she is scared our 6 year old daughter is the opposite we want to teach her not to be so friendly she gives everyone a hug we have told her to stop so has her teacher it has been almost the whole school year

Answer 5

Put her in some kinda thing where she interacts with other kids along with improving her self confidience. This girl on my daughters cheerleading tem was like that...very shy and kinda stuck to herself or her parents and by the end of the year and getting along with the other girls and getting the atisfaction of her improving and everyone praising her she's really ome out of her shell a lot

Answer 6

People salute your daughter?  

I guess you should teach her what to do at home.  You have to correct her or she will never learn.  Work on it with her also-Salute her around the house sometimes and have her practice her reaction.

Answer 7

why the heck would she be saluted?

Answer 8

I always do that when I'm not wearing glasses, it makes me look very rude because I could be looking right at them and will just not recognise them.

If you are sure that she definatly sees and recognises them, she is probally shy and has low self confidence. Treat her with respect and she will learn self worth and will learn to respect others. Dissaprove of the action, not the child.

Try to build up her confidence through positive reinforcement, it is much better for her in the long run than negative. If you are finding this difficult to do how about a parenting class? It can teach you the skills, afterall it is hard to shift old habits.

Answer 9

she's only 6, she's probably just extrememly shy, no biggie

Answer 10

Do this.

Go to the worst part of town you can think of.  The dirtiest, seediest, grubbiest area, where the biggest, ugliest punks hang out.  Go right up to a group of them, flip 'em off, and yell, "You're a bunch of g*y sissies!", and just stand there.

I think they'll give you a good answer.

Answer 11

I suggest seeing a therapist and leaving your daughter with family. You sound like a nutcase.