Just got back from Cast Away Kids.........

[faeriemum]

.....and am abit saddened to say that DS 19months didnt interact with any other children and then completely gave up when one chid threw a ball at his head.......he's an only child (or as my brother calls it..'lonely') ..and i dont any friends with children of his age...my neices are very very young...and DS is not learning how to play with other children....
i've considered Play group...but at 20.50 a session i cant afford it!! ....am thinking i might need to have another child! lol!

should i stick at cast away kids and see if he gets any better?

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Was just going to ask that.

lol, its a huge soft play centre...like 'carters' or 'charlie chalks'

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Ohhhhh i see.

I would persever (sp?).

Well DS1 was the toddler who never left my side at playgroup, let alone soft play. He did get better as he got older and especially when he felt comfortable with a place.

Don't push him it will have the opposite effect. Take him on a regular basis to a smallish playgroup, let him get used to it, sit down, stay put and let him wander off on his own. Slowly he will get more confident, wander off further... Maybe he isn't ready for soft play!

DS1 now at school can only handle small soft play places and though having grown in confidence is still at heart the boy who wants to be sitting with mum.

Faeriemum, don't despair....at 19 months most of the kids I see don't interact with each other at playgroups anyway! Unless you count fighting over toys, that is. My DD (23 months) is an only (not same as lonely, necessarily, in my book) and only really started interacting much other toddlers (almost always girls, for some reason) a couple of months ago, and then mostly when playing on a 1-1 basis rather than in a group. I took her to a 2 year old's b-day party last week, and watched 7 little two year olds play side by side, not together, until there were only 3 left: those three did then play together, but only then.

Also, DD was very nervous of more 'rough and tumble' kids, boys especially, when she was younger - again, its only been a matter of weeks since she started standing up for herself more.

I don't know Cast Away Kids, but your DS sounds totally normal to me!

xxC

souds like i better get on the look out for a smaller group....thanks for the advice...he did seem abit less capable than the others...and he's small for his age..bless him...takes after me...poor sod!

Try a parent & toddler group. They are usually only about 50p/£1 per session