“What can I do to help my son get over his shyness?”

Shyness is not always a bad thing, in fact it’s often quite normal to a degree. However, what can a parent do when severe shyness causes their child to be totally isolated and alone? Kent offers his advice on how to best help a teen who is overly shy. Here’s the question:

“What can I do to help my son get over his shyness? The only time he hangs out with anyone is when his older brother has his friends over. He has no friends his age. He is extremely shy and afraid to even talk to anyone his age. It’s like he has zero confidence and I have no idea where that comes from. His mother and I are very outgoing, as is his older brother. We thought he’d grow out of it but he hasn’t. It’s concerning because if he stays this way he won’t be able to get anywhere in life and I imagine he’ll be very lonely as well.”