DD 18 months seems to lack confidence with other kids. Normal?

[SapphireSunday]

We have just been at a family event with other kids there, a couple her age (18 months) and a few older.

All the other kids seemed to be really confident, taking toys of each other, getting in amongst all the chaos kind of thing whereas DD seemed to sort of sit on the sidelines not really joining in. At one point she was reading a book by herself bless her.

Is this normal? Should I expect her to be getting involved a bit more at her age? She is my first so I feel clueless.

She is super sociable and engaged at home and I had no concerns about her communication or anything until now! Also she does go to nursery but only started a few weeks ago and they haven’t mentioned anything about her not joining in.

Hopeful bump

Oh yes that's totally normal at 18 months. They don't learn how to play with others until gone 2

At 18months I don't think my child knew what other kids were

I don't really see the issue

Children are able to play with others when they are over 3. Until then, the best that you can expect is parallel play- kids playing side by side rather than together.
If the other children are her age, do they have siblings ? They will have learned about grabbing toys etc through experience.

My NCT group are a similar age and all totally different, all first borns and at nursery but they vary all the time who is the most involved, quietest etc

Thank you for the replies they are reassuring!

Yes actually @PeekAtYou the ones her age were younger siblings, makes sense actually!

My dd was very shy and a total homebody, I just kept things in her comfort zone and now she is the most confident, outgoing teen. Your daughter sounds very normal to me :)

Normal has a massive range at this age. Dd1 would have been in there with all the other dc. Dd2 wouldn't have gone near anyone - dc or adults and would have probably cried at anyone who tried to interact with her. She's now a perfectly sociable 9 year old although can be slightly more shy in certain situations compared to her still incredibly outgoing sister

DD (19 months) goes to a toddler group with all kids around the same age and there's a very wide range of behaviour, all of it normal. Some kids sit with their mums the whole time, some go and play nicely, some rampage around climbing on the table, nicking toys and battering other kids over the head with them. Just different personalities and stages of development, none of it is anything to worry about.