Most adults don't like interacting with strangers.

Some don't know how to open the conversation or are afraid to bother the person. Others live in a past trauma of being ridiculed at school as a kid or rejected as an adult.

It may even be amplified by the culture of the country where you grew up. Swedes, for instance, are often said to avoid talking to their neighbors (and strangers in general).

Yet, knowing how to interact with strangers is a core skill to have. No man is an island.

However, it's not a skill that you develop once and for all. It's a muscle, and you need to flex it over and over and over again to prevent it from atrophying.

Just like other muscles, some were born more generously gifted than others. You know the type: super extroverted, always naturally comfortable around new people.

But most who display these traits work out the muscle every opportunity they get.

As a dad, you are your kid's confidence trainer. Your job is to identify opportunities to get your kid to interact with strangers, progressively increase the effort required, and make sure your child gets enough reps.

You can start gently by inviting them to introduce themselves or their interests during a family reunion at home. Then, make them place their order at the restaurant or ask a question to someone leading an activity.

We took the kids to a moose park, and my 4-year-old asked me about the high fences. She looked at me, incredulous, when I told her moose could jump as high as two meters (close to seven feet).

I squatted to be at her level and pointed to the man in charge of the tour.

"See this man with the black cap? He's the guy in charge of this park. Why don't you go and ask him about moose jumping?"

And just like that, she flexed her interaction muscle.