Why does my 6yr. old son not respond to other people?

When someone "anyone" talks to him he will not look them in the face and will not respond to there question. is this normal? I know that he is really shy but it bothers me that he will not answer people when they speak to him. any suggestions?? He talks non stop at home. is this something i should worry about or should i just let it be???
thanks

Answer:
Keep in mind that as parents, we teach our children to fear strangers, and never to talk to strangers.

All that aside, I know some incredibly shy children who just cannot find it within themselves to talk to anyone outside of their comfort zone.

You should talk with your child about good manners with regard to answeriing people's questions. Tell him that it is okay to say "Hello" when he is verbally approached.

Keep in mind, too, that he will, most likely, outgrow this.

How does he react at the physician's office? Is he shy with the doctor? Has the doctor said anything about this?

Good luck!
WHy dont you bring it up to the pediatrician..hopefully its all ok, but it will put ur mind at ease and theres no harm done in getting a medical opinion...
Well, I guess He's shy.After he spends more time with that people he'll be O.K
Talk to your pediatrician. It could be extreme shyness or something else. I have a friend whose daughter would not say ONE WORD the whole year of first grade to the teacher or other students. Her mother was so worried. She talked normally at home. She is now a happy, well adjusted teenager, so it could be something he'll just outgrow.
Do not worry.. I was once the same. And still I speak too little with people. When I was a child I use to feel very uneasy with the absurd questions people use to ask me. Most of the time they don't mean anything, and I use to engage myself in how to respond to such an unnecessary question.
Do take watch on his IQ, behavior and responses when alone or just with you.. I hope he is okay and going to be a very successful man.
yeah, he is just really shy, he will proabbaly grow out of it
I would definately take your concerns to a pediatrician. Most likely it is nothing, but it could be something serious like autism. It's important to catch Autism early because it's been proven that the earlier you find it, the better chance they will function in society with the right interventions. Autism can range from low functioning (doesn't talk or socialize) to high functioning (won't look people in the eye and won't speak with unknown people.) My brother as aspbergers, which is like high-functioning Autism. He didn't discover this till he was in high-school. People just thought he was socially awkward and they diagnosed him with ADHD.
Does he have difficulty making eye contact with you? Refusing to make eye contact is a sign of autism. Also, when you smile or laugh, does he smile and laugh? Difficulty recognizing affect is also a sign of autism.

I'd talk to a child psychologist - a pediatrician won't be able to tell you much because "shyness" as has been described among the answers is not a physiological trait.
My son does the same thing. First of all they are trying to control their enviroment which is very common, secondly do you really want your little one talking to everybody, especially with all the weirdos running around? He will talk to who he feels comfortable with and that is his choice. It's hard for little ones they know they are not supose to talk to strangers but they are not exactly sure what a stranger is. I say let it be. That's what I do. Kids that are to freindly and outgoing freak me right out. I like that my son gets to know people before he talks to them.
Maybe he is just not a people person. Maybe he doesn't like strangers or maybe he just wants to be left alone. He talks alot at home because he is comfortable there he knows everyone there nothing is different to him don't try to enforce his interactions with other people maybe one day he wil or he wont either way don't push him you could scar him for life.
i was shy when i was little and iw as the same way, even in school. i finally grew out of it in like 3rd grade.
Next time this happens, I would suggest taking him aside shortly afterwards, in a non-embarassing manner and question him on why he wouldn't answer. The best way to find out your answer may be to question him yourself!

If at that point, he says that he doesn't know, perhaps encourage him to answer people with, "I'm sorry. I don't know the answer." Or something like that.
let me tell u something theres a boy in my class who does not talk to n e adult-only ppl his age. hes been in my class b4 a couple of times-do something b4 he turns out like him, oh and yes he does not talk to the teacher and he does not do presentations, but him and our teacher get along n 4 some reason they allways do. lol.
It could be something as simple as your son not knowing what to say, and feeling shy about it. Sometime when you are just hanging around at home, talk to him about some possible responses he could give. For example, if someone says "How are you?", tell him he could say "Fine, thanks." If someone gives him a compliment, teach him to say thank you. Kids aren't born knowing how to conduct a conversation, but if you coach him a little, he will feel more confident. Just don't make a big deal out of it, when he is in that situation. Good luck!
My brother did that aswell and he does it still to this date not as often i think they are just shy.

~take me as i am~
Your son is just shy. It will pass over time. Are there any activities that he likes doing? My mom put me in girlscouts and dance, which helped me a lot. You should put him in activities like, baseball, football, art classes, etc. It would be good for him!
you should encourage him, when someone talks to him
you can say honey someones talking to you, its ok to say hello
or if some asks a question, its ok you can answer the question honey

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