MY boy is 3 years old. When “strangers” visit to our house, he will hide behind me，and even dare not say "hello" to them, and the speak voice becomes very low. What’s wrong with him? Maybe he’s lack of confidence?
Stranger anxiety is good for him and a normal developmental milestone, and will fade over time.
Here is a good article that explains it and what you can do:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_anxiety-in-toddlers_11551.bc
Typical. My son was like this at the beginning of three and has since become an extrovert, to a degree. He now invites strangers to our house!
NOTHING is wrong with him. In my view, this is developmental. Lack of confidence at this age is often a side-effect of parents talking to others about the child in front of the child. I have a neighbor who questions/complains of this about her son, right as he's standing next to her. It makes me cringe. This is one of the best ways for adults to stymie their confidence, so.... if you are talking about his 'lack of confidence' within his presence/earshot, please stop. He will understand (perhaps not every single word) that you perceive something to be wrong with him, and that makes children even more uncertain about new experiences.
I'm NOT saying that this is what you are doing, by the way, just addressing your question from my experiences in working with children.
And here's a great article from Mamas on Call on shyness... and how we can respond well to it.
http://mamasoncall.com/2010/10/hes-so-shy/
Yes, yes, to all the answers below. I would also add: He's wary of strangers who enter the house. His house. He thinks of home as a safe haven, so when a stranger comes in, that's confusing for him, especially since we warn our kids to be wary of all strangers. Try to prepare him before someone comes to call; talk about who is coming and why and when, and when the doorbell rings, remind him, before you open the door, who it is and that you're expecting that person. If the caller is unexpected, like a delivery person, before you open the door, tell him the UPS truck is outside and that's who it is, etc.
There's a tension in our world between wanting our kids to be safe and not talk to strangers, and expecting our kids to be polite when introduced to someone new. It seems typical for a kid at his age to be working through those seemingly conflicting expectations from the grown-ups. Hang in there. Soon he'll be better able to discern between stranger danger and people you are introducing him to as OK to have in "his" house.
Your son is just being shy and this is typical of his age. Ignore it and he will come around. I had one who was a social butterfly and another who would cling to my leg whenever someone came over. It wasn't until my uncle decided he was going to come in and go straight to the video games that he was able to find a way to break the ice with my son, but everyone else who came over he would cling to my leg like a life raft. This lasted until he was about 6 or 7 I think.
I do not believe there is anything wrong with your son. Children have a good sence of people. If he does not feel comfortable talking to "strangers" I would not push it. I do not encourage my children to talk to anyone I am speaking to. Not everyone is your friend, so I do not want my children thinking just because I talk to people that its okay for them to. I like that my children do not speak to everyone. Again this is my take on it.
He is shy. Not a big deal.. It is his internal safety going off. "I do not know these people, so I will be leery , till I know them. "
Just work with him about how to act when he is introduced to a new person and you are there with him.
He can hold your hand AND either shake their hand or wave at them.. Teach him that it makes others feel better when we look in their eyes as they speak with us. Do not push him.. Remind him that even some Grown ups are shy when they first meet people, but we still say hello, so we do not make the other person feel bad.
Very normal. Adults are usually wary around 'strangers' also.
he's 3 and he's shy - perfectly normal. I assume he eventually warms up to people? Do not make a big deal of it - let him hide behind you for as long as it takes for him to become comfortable.
My kids both went through this stage - and it passed.
At his age I used to scream like someone was attacking me when any male person came to our house, or even walked by. The young adult sons who lived next door used to go around the block to come home to avoid my wails... Trust me I am perfectly fine meeting up with strangers now - I deal with people in my line of work and in volunteer work that I do - so it will pass.
Good for him! Kids that are three should only greet those adults they know!! After adults leave, talk to him about who that person is, why they were there, and remind him of the difference between strangers and safe adults. Don' t force kids to greet adults as we do. They should only speak to safe adults!!
It's very normal and healthy for children this age to go through a shy phase. My son was terribly shy from about one-and-a-half to three-and-a-half, and I was worried too. Then, just within the last year, he outgrew a lot of it. Your son may just have a slow-to-warm-up temperament. This brings some challenges -- it takes longer to make friends -- but also a lot of benefits -- he's likely to be very sensible and avoid foolish risks, and you don't have to worry as much about "stranger danger." He may outgrow it completely, or he may always have a thoughtful, introspective temperament, but either way, it doesn't sound like anything to worry about at all.
It is normal for 3 year olds to be shy around people who they don't know well, and you should actually be glad that your child is not too friendly to strangers. Kids can't really tell good strangers from bad strangers, so it is best that they use caution.
No he is just shy keep encouraging him relax it get better
My daughter is 2.5 and does exactly the same thing. She'll hide behinnd me when around new people, although some people she will smile at while others she looks at and basically gets scared. But she will NOT let anyone strange touch or hold her, or touch her toys. It's perfectly normal, and you probably want it that way. It's better that your child resents and even screasm when a stranger approaches them rather than go with anyone at all. I have girlfriends who pride themselves on their kids being very social and trusting in everyone, and I actually disapprove of that. Those are the kids that will give their hand to any stranger in a park rather than run away. So don't worry, your son is just fine. Let him be himself, eventually he'lll warm up to who he likes.
I wouldn't say there is anything wrong with him...a bit harsh! He's THREE. He should be apprehensive of strangers. My son who's almost 4, does the same thing and AGAIN, why force something like this?
