How do you support your socially anxious child?

My 5.5 year old daughter is very shy and appears to suffer from very real social anxiety. I'd love to strategies from other parents who have dealt / are dealing with similar issues.As a toddler, she was the kid hiding behind Mom or Dad's legs. When she started school she would routinely wake up at least 3 times each night and be overcome with emotion about the upcoming day. It took 4 months to get her into the school without crying, and even then only with an elaborate routine. Drop-offs are better these days, but I can still see the anxiety on her face and in her body language.We've tried to give her as many different opportunities to engage socially as we can. At varying times we've signed her up for soccer, ice hockey, dance, gymnastics, music, arts, sparks, and countless informal play groups. For each of these, she gets really excited about being part of it but then after a few sessions gets really emotional and asks to quit. I've tried to reason with her and explain how facing her fears head on is the only way that she's going to get past this. But neither my wife nor I have the heart to force her to stay committed to social activities that she is so frightened of.My heart breaks for her. She sometimes asks why the other kids don't want to play with her, and she doesn't seem to understand that it's because she doesn't really engage with them. In other words, she desperately wants them to play but is too scared to actually participate when they do. Her little brother has a very different disposition. He loves being the centre of attention and is as gregarious and outgoing as they come. She gets very jealous of his 'ability' to thrive socially and it's yet another source of frustration for her.What has worked for you and your family? Should we help her to conquer her fears through 'forced' exposure? Should we let her quit time and time again? Any tips or guidance would be appreciated. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2mInChM