Why I Refuse to Call My Child "Shy"

My son has shown introverted traits since he was a baby, ducking his soft head every time he smiled, and going straight from giggles to the most serious expression any time he saw an unfamiliar face or crowd. Now as a toddler, he's still the same way. He reserves his smiles and giggles for the people he's closest to. In a room full of people, he withdraws to watch and learn. We hear a lot of, "He's so serious. Isn't he a happy child?" and "Oh, he's shy." Usually with a lowered voice and a look of disappointment or pity.

There was a time I'd agree and say, "Yeah, he's being shy." But not anymore. It bothered me to agree and use that label for him, but it was the label I'd heard all my life and the one most people use. So it took me a long time to unpack the word and figure out why it doesn't rest easy with me.

"Shy" is a box. "Shy" is a weight. "Shy" is a reductive, negative label.

I've been labeled as shy a lot in my life, and it's never felt good. If I was afraid to speak up, and someone called me shy, the label only made it harder for me to find power in my voice. If I was afraid to make friends, the label only made it that much scarier. "Shy" made me feel uninteresting, unworthy, and unmotivated to step outside my comfort zone. "Shy" made me feel insecure. I still struggle with insecurity and social anxiety.

I don't think people are trying to be mean when they say it. It's one of those things people just say. But listen to the way people say it, look at their body language and facial expressions, and then tell me it's a positive thing for a child to be shy.

Let's think about what people really mean when they call someone shy...Uncomfortable, afraid, timid, quiet. And it may be true that the child is feeling these, but they're all negative things, and by calling it out in a child, we're drawing attention to those things. It's embarrassing, un-affirming, and dampens the spirit. Instead of calling out the negatives in these children who are already struggling in social situations, why don't we notice and call out their positive traits? Let's build them up.

My son isn't shy.

He's thoughtful. 

He's introspective. 

He's observant and a good listener. 
He excels socially in smaller circles and after he's had a chance to warm up.

These are all positive things to call out in a person. So I'm going to shred "shy," douse it with lighter fluid, and watch it burst into flames and flicker out of my vocabulary. The rest of those words are going in my back pocket, so next time someone comments that my son is being so serious and shy, I can smile and proudly say, "He's so observant!" 

Celebrate your kiddos. Build them up. Choose your words wisely because they have power.

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Related post: I Don't Want to be the Awkward Mom on the Playground

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