Hi, welcome
Sometimes easy remedies are hard to find and its great you wrote in to seek some advice.
There is a number of ways to break the ice- remember in awkward situations they other person might well be as nervous as you are.
Some ideas-
- Take along a flask of tea or coffee even if you dont use it. Then holding the flask in the early stages "I've brought along some tea would you like some"?
- Ask questions about their child. eg "She gets on well with Wendy doesnt she, is Wendy your only child"? People LOVE talking about their own children. Other topics to ask about are- how long they have lived there, where did they grow up, do they have hobbies/sports, etc
- Comment on their garden/house/clothing they wear. All these positive comment print in their mind that you are a nice person.
- You can gamble and be up front eg "I have been very isolated in recent years so I dont have many friends- just if you feel a little awkward around me". That sometimes works but has risks with strangers.
I hope that helps. The important thing to remember is- you're not alone in having these issues.
TonyWK
