What age did your toddlers start playing with others?

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

DD is 22months, she goes to mothers and toddlers, and jo jingles. She will play beside other toddlers but not with them IYSWIM. She will try and take toys of them or put up a fight if someone tries to take a toy from her. I was just wondering is this typical for her age? Should she be interacting more with her peers? There is one girl she likes that when she sees her she'll touch her forehead to her friends, my mum thinks this is adorable I just wonder is it normal?

[Patchouli]

I don't thin my DD started properly playing with others until a few months before starting school.

[toomuchtooold]

I've got 22 month old twins and they play a bit with each other but with other kids they act as if they don't exist. I think it is typical - they talk about "parallel play" at about 2-3 years where they'll play alongside each other and maybe copy each other but not interact directly.

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

She's barely doing it and she's 3.

Totally normal. They ALL do it. :)

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

Thanks that's reassuring, I guess I over analyse her every behaviour as she is not talking yet! She seems to understand 80% of what we say to her. She is very sociable otherwise looks for cuddles or to be picked up, makes excellent eye contact etc But hard not to worry all the same.

[Bumpsadaisie]

My 27 mth old DS will play with his older sister and sort of play with other children at toddlers. He my second child so he has more experience of playing with children as he has his sister to play with.

In terms of when they start to get really keen on friends and actively really want to spend time with them, and develop particular preferences, I would say this doesn't happen till after 3 yrs old

[PenelopeLane]

My DS - 2.4 - plays with other kids his age and has for about 6 months, although only children he knows very well, which only includes other children at his nursery that he's been with for so many hours ever since he was 1 so has spent A LOT of time with. He doesn't play with other children than he doesn't see as often, though.

[naty1]

Have you spoken to Hv about her not speaking yet?

[sneakyday]

4 and a half. She has just started to interact properly with other children since she has got used to school. Her class (mainly boys) are lovely and very protective of her.

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

Yes naty1 I also have DS 5months so HV was here for him just after Christmas. I mentioned my concern about DD's speech and she asked me a range of questions about her behaviour and watched her play for a while. She said she was not concerned about her development and if at her 2year assessment she still had no words she would refer her to SALT. She does communicate with us if she wants me to play with her she will come get me and drag me to the toy by my trousers . Or if she's hungry she'll go to her cupboard in the kitchen and whinge, or if I'm watching something on TV and she wants her programmes on she'll bring me the remote control! So she has her own way of getting her point across. She is vocal, babbles a lot just no actual words yet.

[AwfulMaureen]

well its only two months till she turns two and in all honesty I would be pushing for salt now...there is often a wait so thevquicker you get tje ball rolling the better...and get her hearing tested at the doctors too....the doc can refer to salt you know.xx

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

Awfulmaureen cheers for advice I did voice the concern of waiting lists, but was assured it was weeks in our area not months.

[KatoPotato]

Nursery told me that 'parallel play' was pretty much the norm until about 4 or so.

[AwfulMaureen]

Yes, both my DDs did parallel play for quite a long time...certainly until they were about three and a half really. The ears could be worth looking into though...loads of kids have glue ear, undiagnosed which affects their speech...they can't hear well so don't start talking for a while.

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

I will get her hearing checked. I'm not stressing out majorly yet as I have spoken to a few mothers recently whose LO's didn't start talking to 23months and nearly 3, with no other issues, just late talkers. My cousins LO has just turned 2 and he has no words yet either. If she was the only one amoung her peers not talking I might be freaking out, but the more I talk to people the more I realise some just talk late. But yes as a mother it's hard not to worry especially when you've a wee red book telling you what they should be doing by what age Einstein and Churchill both late talkers perhaps I have a little genius in the making, ha haaaa!

[BlueDesmarais]

Mine's about to turn 5. Playing with others? He sometimes does, but he still prefers his own company and mostly parallel plays.

It's why I don't stress about 'playdates' and stuff when they're babies, because they hardly notice the other kid anyway and certainly don't see themselves as being the same kind of creature (each child sees the other as a sort of pet...)

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

Blue laughing a lot at your post as I'm pretty sure that DD thinks DS is some toy/pet that we have acquired just to annoy her!