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Hey all! I am shy. I have made a HUGE effort to overcome this, but I see some of the same painful childhood themes reoccurring in my kid's lives. Honestly, these things make me want to become a sopping mess of tears on the floor and never allow them to socialize again (I know what direction I should go in in therapy, lol). Does anyone have advice on helping my children develop better social skills when this is something I too struggle with? I am finding it nearly impossible to just offer practical advice when this topic is sooo fraught with emotion for me. A few things I've noticed: So, in groups, there is always the alpha. Some people either like being betas, or don't notice. Ive always noticed, and would feel like it was a huge blow to my pride to be one of the betas begging for scraps of attention from the alpha, and preferred to play alone; but then felt lonely. I noticed this with my daughter, 6, at girl scouts yesterday. In addition, we are "city people" who now live in a pretty insular, rural community. Friendships here were established in infancy, apparently, and its pretty hard to break in. There are exceptions, of course, but as a whole, I feel only mixed success when trying to socialize. This might be a bit rambling, but if anyone has any suggestions, even just general ones as to how to take yourself out of your child's experiences in triggering events, I would really appreciate it!! thanks!