Here at Houston Children’s Magic I meet a wide variety of children every year. It is one of the best parts of my job, as a children’s magician, to meet so many different personalities and no two parties are ever the same because of it. It can be so hard to see a child really wants to join in the fun but is perhaps a little shy to. Here are some of the best ways I have found to make sure that a shy child enjoys the party too.
Many shy children will join in given time or are quite happy just being there, amongst the fun atmosphere. If you push them into joining in they will resist even further. I try and make the atmosphere as fun and inclusive as possible, so that when and if they are ready they will join in. If not, it is fine for them to enjoy the fun from the sidelines.
I know many parents of shy children worry that if they hire a magician for the party, their child will be uncomfortable, thinking that they will have to get up and be center of attention. That doesn’t have to be the case and there are many ways round this. I can ask the birthday child if they want to be my helper and if not, maybe they have a special friend I can choose instead.
That is for you and your child to decide. Just like every person is different, every shy person is different. Some may want just a few friends around them on their special day, and some are happy in larger groups as they don’t feel they are the centre of attention anymore. Whatever you decide, if you hire an entertainer let them know about your child’s personality and then they can tailor their performance and activities so that the birthday child feels most comfortable and has the best time.
If your child is a guest at a party then make sure you arrive in plenty of time. This will give your child chance to see what is going on and familiarize themselves with the situation. They are likely to join in much quicker this way. If you arrive when the party is in full flow they are likely to feel more anxious about joining in.
If your child is the birthday boy or girl, then give them time to get to know the entertainer and make sure there is an adult in the room that they know at all times. This will give them reassurance and will make them feel more comfortable about joining in.
So you can see that even if your child is shy there are plenty of ways they can enjoy a birthday party if we give them the space and support to do so.
