How Do You Know if Your Baby is Shy?

• Genetics
• Environment

Many studies have shown that a baby can experience shyness due to their genetic makeup. This means that shyness is inherited from parents and family members. But genetics may not always play a major role.

Environment plays a main role in developing shyness in babies. It’s because as babies explore new places and new people around them and they start identifying the familiar and unfamiliar, they may start developing shyness, stranger anxiety, and separation anxiety.

[Read : When Does a Baby Start Recognizing Familiar Faces?]

At What Age Do Babies Become Shy?

The very first signs of shyness can be seen in a 4-month baby. Your baby may exhibit behaviors such as crying out loud in the absence of parents, not being ready to meet new people, hugging tight to parents or covering their face in parents’ chest. Stranger anxiety and object permanence are two milestones that can trigger shyness in babies.

The proper indicators of shyness develop at the age of 6 months and last up to 3 years.

Signs of Shyness in Babies

There are many behavior signs from which the parents can recognize that the baby is feeling shy. When feeling shy, the baby may

• Want to avoid meeting new people
• Refuse to stay in a new place
• Show anxiety at the disappearance of familiar faces
• Become restless in a new place in the presence of new people.
• Cling to the parents.
• Hide behind parents or familiar people.
• Cry loudly in the presence of unfamiliar people
• Hide face between the legs
• Cover face with hands
• Try to move away from that place by crying loudly and hugging parents
• Start feeling anxious when parents are not around.
• Fear in the presence of unfamiliar people or the absence of parents.

[Read : Top 5 Tips For Moms to Cope With A Clingy Baby]

Easy Tips to Make Your Baby Less Shy

Love, attention and affection from parents can make lots of difference in the growth of a baby. Parents need to be more attentive towards the baby’s body language as well as not react instantly but rather calmly understand and respond. One wrong reaction can make a baby even shyer and one right response can make the baby feel confident. Parents play a crucial role in shaping and building the personality of the baby from the very first day.

Here are some tips from which you can make your baby less shy.

1. Try to allow your baby to explore their surroundings and the people around them.
2. Don’t just wrap babies and keep them close to yourself. Instead, let them get close to their other family members.
3. Talk to the baby calmly and always smile at them.
4. Take the baby to an unfamiliar place and be by their side and monitor them so that they are safe, but give them the chance to examine and explore the
5. Give your baby frequent opportunities to socialize.
6. Allow your baby to socialize with all age groups. A useful tip here – babies enjoy socializing with elders, so give them multiple opportunities to do this.

Shyness is the most common emotion that develops in babies from a very young age. Parents should try various methods to help their babies familiarize themselves in unfamiliar settings and with unfamiliar people by following a few simple and easy-to-follow parenting strategies. Remember, this is a time-taking activity and parents must be patient.

[Read : 10 Tips To Communicate With Newborn]

FAQ’s

1. At What Ages Do Babies Start Developing Shyness?

At the age of 4 months, babies start developing shyness which can continue till they are at least 3 years old.

2. Do Babies Go Through the Shy Phase?

Yes, babies normally go through the shy phase as it is the part of development and building of personality.

3. Why Are Some Babies Shy?

Not all babies are the same, and not all babies are very shy. Some babies are shyer than others because of their genetic makeup. But most babies feel shy in unfamiliar environments between unfamiliar people.

4. Why is My 3 Month Old is Shy?

This can be because of your baby’s different personality, genetic makeup or due to separation anxiety. The baby may also start differentiating between familiar and unfamiliar which may cause them to feel shy and restless.

Read Also: Separation Anxiety in Babies – Signs, Causes and Tips