Most parents if not all teach their children to avoid talking to strangers. Avoiding any form of interaction with an unknown individual or person is the safest thing to do, most especially these days when crime and injustice is very rampant. Children are typically naïve in nature; they see all the good in things and people. They do not know how to distinguish the truth from lies and pretentions. This is one of the reasons why children easily fall victims to heinous crimes such as rape and kidnapping. To prevent any of these things from happening, children are taught to avoid strangers.

Children, especially younger ones, might have a different notion about strangers. Toddlers might think that aside from his mother, everyone else is a stranger including the father and other siblings. When this happens, the child is experiencing stranger anxiety. Children with stranger anxiety feel very uncomfortable and sometimes threatened when they see an unfamiliar person or individual. Their initial reaction would be to move as far as possible from the stranger. When the stranger comes too close, they would be very guarded or even cry out loud as a form of defense mechanism. If stranger anxiety is not managed properly and if the situation is not handled well, the child can develop a phobia. Stranger anxiety is not an abnormal condition. It is common for children to have this condition and most of them grow out from it as they mature. Here are some tips to help children overcome stranger anxiety.

1.  The child should be exposed to different people on a regular basis – Bring other people such as cousins, grandparents and close friends into the house will make the child accustomed to strangers. He will start getting use to seeing all these people and will eventually overcome his fear and anxiety towards them. The child can also be brought to safe public places like the mall or park for him to see other people.
2. Encourage the child to socialize – Socialization is one of the important activities a child must learn in order to overcome stranger anxiety. Children must be encouraged to play with peers, starting with siblings and cousins then with friends from school or the neighborhood. Play is the best tool for children to develop their social skills and confidence. Parents must also supervise their children’s play time to ensure safety.
3. Let the child do simple errands – Doing simple household chores and tasks can distract the child from his anxiety. For starters, the child can be taught how to clean his room, do the dishes or fold the laundry. He can then be taught to go outside the house and get the mail or buy something from the market. Exposing him to these things will help him overcome stranger anxiety.
4. Be patient – Children develop at different rates and paces. Some kids will be able to socialize almost immediately once they start school, while others tend to develop slower. Parents must be patient at all times. They must continue encouraging positive behavior and social skills.