Mannu had been struggling with social anxiety in that she would refrain from making eye contact while speaking, avoiding speaking to strangers, answering in monosyllables when people asked her questions. Even at the school PTM, the only feedback that her teachers gave was for her to be more interactive, proactively participate and ask questions. She has been working on it and making small strides towards being more open in social situations. I used to be the same, so I completely understand her. We have been encouraging her without being pushy. Whenever she manages to ask a question in the class voluntarily or steps up to speak, she comes home ans proudly tells us about it.
Yesterday they were administered a routine vaccine at their school. And Mannu came home yesterday saying – Guess who struck a conversation with the nurse today of her own accord?
I went into cheerleading mode immediately and said – ‘Woohoo! What did you say?’
Mannu – ‘When she was injecting me with the vaccine, do you hear me?’
Me (totally hyping her up): Yeah yeah, I do! Go on bro
Mannu: ‘Look how brave I am! When she was injecting me, I asked her – Do you like your job? BOOM!’
Me: Woah woah woah!
Mannu:’Exactly! And then we kept on talking. She asked me what electives I had chosen and she told me about hers and then she asked me what I wanted to study in Uni and it just went on’
Me: That’s amazing Mannu. Love it. Are you consciously making an effort to speak or is it coming naturally to you?
Mannu: Oh well, I am the conversational God now! This is what I do
and we all laugh till we drop!
Anecdotes of Two-riffic Twins 