Some children need more time to trust and talk to adults, no need to force them.
Of course your child knows how to speak, but in certain situations he becomes mute and cannot express himself. Beyond a simple shyness, he still lacks experience of interactions with others and can freeze when a stranger speaks to him. Be there to encourage him without blaming, excusing or punishing him.
Encourage him to gain self-confidence
If you notice that your child has difficulty speaking to adults, there is no need to force him, this will only reinforce his fear. On the other hand, as soon as he is able to make requests with gestures or words, encourage him to express his needs to other adults.
For example, you can encourage him to ask something from the person who keeps him, a family member, or a cashier in a store. By dint of doing this, he will gain enough confidence in his abilities and will understand that he can have a positive exchange with another adult.
What if he remains silent despite everything?
Even if your child chooses not to talk, don’t punish him so that he has a positive memory of the exchange. Don’t apologize to the adult either, but encourage him to keep trying, even if he only smiled.
In general, show him the example by commenting aloud on your gestures or your thoughts in the presence of your child or else describe his gestures to familiarize him with the language: “we put our arm in the sleeve, you give food to your doll, you put the blue cube on the yellow cube”. In the presence of a stranger, do not hesitate to show and talk about things that interest the person to make him want to do the same.
Learn more: “And if we spoke? (3-6 years): The little book to help children talk about everything, without taboo”, by Andréa Bescond and Mathieu Tucker, HarperCollins editions.
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