Is anyone here a shy parent?

Question

Is anyone here a shy parent, and therefore have to force yourself to go along to groups so your child can socialize?

Do you ever find yourself not going to things because of all the other people, and you feel not so good because you know your child would have benefitted form going?

Answer 1

I am pretty shy.  I deffinitely feel that my kids miss out on things because I don't get involved.  I try to just smile and say "hi" no matter who I see.  I find that most times people will just start talking to me if I say hello first, this takes the pressure off of me to try to figure out something to say.

Answer 2

Single fahter of 3 kids and very shy...and sometimes because I am so shy I feel like ym kids feel the same as I. I learned that my kids have their own feelings...and I cant live through them. They do not have to feel what I feel. So I now just let them be...look past myself to go to events and let them defelop their own personalities other then living my personality through them.

Answer 3

I would recommend taking a book with you to read while your child is playing then you won't have to socialize with the other parents if you don't want to.  

Answer 4

Yes but I suppose you have to force yourself to do it for the sake of your child, because they might inherit that shyness from you and its best to instill confidence in your kids..   just take a book along with you to read - dont worry about what other people think of YOU, your child is more important.

Answer 5

Honestly, I'm not a parent. My mom sometimesgets annoyed by having to go hear the other mothers, but she doesn't get shy. Sometimes she will stop to get a Dunkin Donuts and a Peoples magazine. Then she doesn't have to deal with the other moms.

Answer 6

i wouldn't say I'm shy, but i have never attended a mother and baby group or toddler group because i'm worried about being judged on my parenting skills.

i know im a good mother, its just that since my daughter was born i have always had comments like "isnt she tiny!" or "was she premature"

which is silly because she ws 6lb 14 oz and 22 inches long at birth!

but iv developed insecurities due to these comments.

So no your not alone in this, and yes i feel bad about it aswell.

Answer 7

Ah yes....that sounds like me! I have improved vastly now my daughter is 4 and has started nursery....I still find it tough though...but what you have to remember is that your child isn't you...she or he will have their own little personality whatever you do....my child is VERY sociable...even though I never got the courage up to attend a toddler group with her till she was over 2 years old....it took her a term to get used to school and they say she is very friendly and sociable. My thing that helped me was rthat I try to smile a lot...not in a crazy way....but just when I meet people...even in the shops...I realised my toddler would pick up on this...they learn EVERYTHING from us...so if you smile a lot and say hi to people...your toddler will too...and thats a really usefull habit to have socially.