Social Anxiety in Children: When it is Beyond Shyness

Do your kids have a hard time warming up to people? Are they slow to make friends? Are they silent at family gatherings? When does shyness turn into social anxiety in children? It can be a challenge to tell what the signs of social anxiety are and what is just shyness?

Here are 30 signs of social anxiety in children. Each sign individually is normal and many kids will have these thoughts and struggles. But if the whole list starts to sound very much like your kid, you might want to take a closer look at social anxiety.

To listen to the podcast episode on this topic click here.

This list is not meant to diagnose and is for informational purposes only. If you are worried about your child having signs of social anxiety, please consult a mental health professional.

30 Signs of Social Anxiety in Children:

1. Has a hard time talking to other kids and/or adults.

2. Excessively worries about their appearance.

3. Worries they might say something or do something embarrassing.

4. Struggles with ordering their own food at restaurants.

5. Is consumed with what other people think of them.

6. Has a hard time eating in front of other people when they are not at home.

7. Prefers to stay at home most of the time.

8. Feels overwhelmed in large social gatherings.

9. Worries parents are going to embarrass them in front of their friends.

10. Doesn’t like anyone to focus on them.

11. Is too anxious to raise their hand in class.

12. Overanalyzes social situations.

13. Often feels friends don’t really like them.

14. Has a hard time talking to people on the phone.

15. When they were very little they had a hard time separating.

16. When they were little they didn’t talk to anyone except family.

17. They have a hard time using the bathroom when they are not at home.

18. Refuses to poop anywhere, but home.

19. Feels like their friends don’t really care about them.

20. Is too anxious to do school presentations.

21. Is too anxious to read out loud in class.

22. Excessively worries that other people are judging them.

23. Is mortified if a teacher corrects them in front of other students.

24. Speaks softly to those they don’t know.

25. Fears new social situations.

26. Plays alone at school.

27. Has limited friends.

28. Teachers describe a completely different child than the one you see at home.

29. Gets self-conscious when their appearance changes (haircut, braces etc.).

30. Is overly afraid that kids will be mean to them.

This list is by no means comprehensive. These are just some of the most common signs of social anxiety I see in my practice.

Did this list sound familiar? What other signs of social anxiety do you see in your kids? Leave a comment and share with other parents.

Do you know someone who has a child with signs of social anxiety? Share this article with them.

To learn more about the online class How to Crush Social Anxiety click here.

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If you know a teen struggling with anxiety, give them the only self-help book teens are likely to read:

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