Am I doing a good job?

[Dinooorar]

Basically today DS (2y11m) nursery had a play session for the parents to come. We walked in his room and I mean it wasn’t the kids running to parents they seemed confused bless them! He sat and smiled then was really shy and quiet and quite subdued didn’t want to do activities at first then done some

after 10 or so minutes he got upset and asked me to take him home and can we go home and got upset then calmed and wanted to do activities no kids were at. Another 10/15 mins pass and he’s in the swing and going between rooms and activities

I felt bad that he felt shy Etc the nursery said he does interact with kids and he’s his usual confident self (I think to reassure me that while I’m in work he is engaging as I seemed concerned) and again at the end he was confident and fine just took the session to warm

other kids just plodded on none were majorly over top enthusiastic with parents but just noticed my DS wanted me to take him hone
abd last time (6 months ago) he did the same asked me could we go home😂

Is this normal was it just overwhelming all the different adults in his nursery? He attends 3 days

i just felt bad and I’m worried am I not exposing him to enough social stuff outside nursery. We always go out as a family but maybe I need to do more groups with people rather than outings where it’s spread and you don’t interact if that makes sense?

I just always worry I’m not doing things right and I’m trying my best

aw he’s only little! Lower your expectations. He probably just didn’t understand what was going on! It’s nothing you did or didn’t do. There’s a huge range in personality types if even at this age. They aren’t all extroverts, and that’s just fine. And he did warm up and participate a bit in the end didn’t he? You sound like you do a lot with him and he obviously feels secure in his family unit. And secure at nursery too.

Bless him. I wouldn’t have a single concern OP.

Yeah he did ! He went between rooms at the end seemed loads more confident. He was very happy when I said let’s go home tbh and he usually is - walks off when his key person is giving me messages hah. So I’m taking it as a compliment maybe? That he just likes being with me. Enjoys nursery but our home is one of his fave places maybe

Ive always just worried as he is a bit shy I hate the word I just need to find an alternative! As that’s fine but I want to help wherever I can. I was a bit withdrawn as a child and I found it so hard and felt forced sometimes into social stuff so I want to help without him feeling like he’s being force ? If that makes sense xx

It does make sense! I’d just keep doing what you’re doing, model things a bit- I’m not particularly sociable myself but I know my little boy definitely thrives with human interaction. I definitely fake things a bit for him. I am not shy about singing songs, saying a big cheery ‘thanks driver!’ as we get off the bus, chit chat with random people if they talk to us etc etc. we now have quite a lot of random people in the neighbourhood that ‘know’ us to say hello to. It’s nice. And in general I think it just helps small children to think the world isn’t a scary place. Tomorrow we are going to a little sing session at a care home. Just mixing with lots of different people, chatting about people’s jobs, what they’re up to etc, I do think it all helps them feel part of a wider world.

This is great thank you I’ve been challenging myself to be more social and chat to neighbours etc I’m quite socially awkward so find conversation hard (general chit chat type)

and I just have always worried I’d rub off on him in a sense of pass down my socially awkwardness