Anyone have a really shy toddler since lockdown?

[Dualipa]

It breaks my heart to see how wary my 17 month old is of people. Since March we've been in our own little bubble so now we are able to start meeting friends & family for a socially distant walk it's shocked me how worried he is. He's like a completely different child to the one I have at home who's loud, boisterous & very noisy.
He seems petrified and it breaks my heart.

Has anyone else's child reacted the same way?

My daughter (just turned 3) has become absolutely terrified of cars. Completely panics if she hears one (even if we're on a little footpath somewhere away from roads), uncontrollable sobbing, can't walk her near roads anymore because she bolts in her panic :(

Yes my 18 month old has got shy and also at times seems very bored of just our company! We saw his grandparents at the weekend and it was like he reanimated and is suddenly back to babbling away and interacting. Back at nursery tomorrow and I’m actually relieved as he will benefit from the additional social experiences. It’s been tough and I 100% feel you and where you’re coming from. Hope your toddler turns the corner soon. Many friends with toddlers have a similar experience too btw.

I have a 28 month old DS and he has become very shy of people and very scared of basically any noises so we constantly get 'what's that noise?' Or screams when you accidentally make him jump. He's an absolute live wire at home and didn't used to be like this. I can't decide if it's because of lockdown or it's a developmental stage.

It's awful isn't it. I keep wondering if I could or should have been doing something to try and prevent this but then it never crossed my mind how terrified he would be of other people. He's always been a clingy baby and a mummy's boy but now he screams in total distress if I try out him down when we are in someone's company.
I'm not sure how to handle it to make it better, do I ignore it or keep reassuring him?

Kids are very plastic at this age and adapt quickly so I reassure myself by thinking how he won’t even remember it this time next year. Lots of reassurance and comfort and giving ourselves a break. So much easier said than done though. How are you? Please take care of yourself too. It’s really strange and tough times.

Yes I suppose you are right and he won't remember it this time next year but I'm just worried it's set the pace for how he's going to be. I can get anxious myself and know how painful it can be so I really want to help him in anyway I can to be confident.
I'm ok thank you for asking! Some days are hard but mainly most days are fine, I have my boy so I have everything really!

My 20 month old is exactly the same. I think he spent so long at the beginning of lockdown waving at people and trying to be friends, with me trying my best to keep him away from them without fuss and some of them looking at him like they were being hurt that he gave up! Now when people say hi to him he buries himself in my legs/ wants to be picked up. Makes me so sad. He is going back to nursery on Friday which hopefully will help but I'm dreading it, he had only been there for 5 weeks 2x a week before lockdown so it will be like starting again!

My 21 month old has been very very shy when seeing other people again. We met a friend the other day and she clung to me like a monkey for half an hour. After that she warmed up and was the confident toddler she was before lockdown. She starts a brand new nursery tomorrow so will socialise normally again, which I'm really happy about.

My 20 month old was the same despite being pretty happy and confident pre lockdown. The first time we bumped into a friend when out for a walk he hid behind me and cried until she went away.

We have now re-started nursery, bubbled with a relative and started seeing friends in our garden.

In 4 weeks he's got hugely more confident around strangers, back to pre lockdown levels. And screams blue murder at nursery drop off, just like he did before.

And actual practical things . . . We just took it really gently and always made sure there was another place we could escape to away from the "stranger" if it was all getting too much, and kept meet ups short.

My 14 month old was the same, a month ago. Prelockdown he was confident and sociable. At home he's super loud. But he clung to me and wailed, or climbed back into his pram, when we first met friends 3 weeks ago. I went to some supermarket car parks (where there were bound to be people queueing) and encouraged him to smile and wave at them. Then we did a few more distanced meets with friends. He's getting much better and more confident.