How to Nurture a Quiet Child

The quiet child isn’t always the easiest to spot. They can often fade behind the boisterousness of louder kids, which is why it’s so important to give them special attention to prevent them from getting lost in the group. Below are 7 tips to help quiet children flourish.

How to help them out of their shell:

Make a point to check-in and encourage them so they know they haven’t been forgotten.

Give them genuine praise. Quiet children can detect falseness.

Approach them differently than you would other children. They do not respond well to loudness and dancing around them. Interact with them quietly.

Make sure they are connecting with other kids as this type tends to keep to his/herself. They gain more from one-on-one play than groups.

They like tasks with real challenges, like folding laundry for example, but don’t let them get stuck on one thing.

Help them cope with defeats, which is an important life skill. Often times they won’t register disappointment so encourage them to show their upsets and help them self-regulate.

Quiet children can often become overly obedient children. It is important to get them to ask questions and think for themselves.

Based on an interview with an early childhood educator from Manitoba with 25+ years experience with quiet children.