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Yes, I'm Shy: A Children's Story


It has always bothered me that shyness is often treated as a character flaw.  Anyone who knows and loves a shy person, knows that they have a lot to offer in the world!  I wrote this Children's Story hoping that it could help kids understand that there is nothing wrong with being shy. If you enjoy my story, feel free to share it with the awesome shy and not-so-shy munchkins in your life!



Yes, I'm Shy!
Written By Heather Scharf



Everywhere Bobby went, people asked his Mommy if he was shy. They always had a sorry look on their face when they said it. Bobby didn't know what it meant to be shy but he felt like it must be a very bad thing.




One day, they went to the Grocery Store and Mommy saw her old friend, Sally. Sally looked at Bobby and said, “Hi Bobby! Wow, look how big you are now!” Bobby did not know what to say back to her, so he hid behind his Mommy's legs. Sally looked sorry for him and said sadly, “Aw, is he shy?”

“Yes, he's shy!” Mommy replied with a big smile on her face. Bobby was confused. Why was Mommy smiling about this shy thing?





The next day they went to Gymnastics class for the first time. Bobby was very nervous because he didn't know what would happen at Gymnastics class and he was scared that he would look silly. When his teacher, George came over to introduce himself to Bobby and take him to the trampoline with his class, Bobby felt like all the busyness and noise around him were too much, so he hid behind his Mommy's legs. George looked sorry and said sadly, “Aw, is he shy?”

“Yes, he's shy!” Mommy replied with a big smile on her face. Bobby was even more confused. Why was Mommy smiling about this shy thing?





A week later, Mommy took Bobby to the park to play. A little girl came right up to Bobby and asked him if he wanted to play tag. Bobby felt very unsure because he would never ask another child to play if he didn't know them, but he also kind of wanted to play with her. He thought about it for a second and then hid behind Mommy's legs. “Aw, is he shy?” asked the little girl sadly. Mommy smiled and happily said, “Yes, he's shy!” Bobby was so confused now! Why was Mommy smiling about this shy thing?




Bobby couldn't be confused anymore. He had to find out what shy meant. It must be something really bad because everyone always looked at him like they felt sorry for him when they said it. Maybe it meant that a dinosaur was going to eat him one day! Maybe it meant that he was going to lose all of his toy cars one day! Maybe it meant that something was wrong with him!

But what confused Bobby so much was that Mommy always smiled when she would proudly look at him and say, “Yes, he's shy!”





Bobby walked into the living room and said, “Mommy, what does shy mean? Does it mean that a dinosaur is going to eat me one day? Does it mean that I am going to lose all of my toy cars one day? Is there something wrong with me?”





Mommy calmly and lovingly looked down at her little boy. ”Bobby, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are perfect just the way you are. Some people will treat you like being shy is a bad thing but the way I see it is that you think, feel and see things that other people don't think, feel and see. I think you are very lucky to be shy. It means that you are cautious with your heart. You notice things that make people have to earn your love but that also means that once they do earn it, you will give them all of your heart and love them in a really big way.”






Bobby stopped feeling confused right away. He could almost feel his heart bursting through his chest! Mommy was right! Suddenly, he felt very proud of being shy! And the very next time someone looked at him with a sorry face and said sadly, “Aw, is he shy?”, he peaked out from behind his Mommy's legs, smiled big, and said happily, “Yes, I'm shy!”


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