DS 2.8 lacks confidence help!

[nimbs]

Hi - This is my first message so please bare with me! my ds is a lovely outgoing little boy at home and with people he knows v well. But if we go into a situation particularly if there are lots of children around he gets v clingy, wanting to know where i am all the time. eg - we were at a craft group yesterday where there was painting tables/ gluing/ play doh etc he wanted me next to him all the time even though he really enjoys playing with crafty bits - i couldn't go to the loo without him! - and when the children went outside to play - parents with them he wouldn't join in at all - just played with a ball by my side. I've got a 3 month old daughter so don't know if its to do with her birth? The thing is he starts pre-school in sept and I'm worried that it will be too much for him, any tips advice to make this easier for us all would be much appreciated. I don't want him to be labelled the shy kid as I know what a charming (well most of the time!) and happy child he is. please help!

hello my DS was very much the same at this age.

I have found that as he grew up this year - he is now 3.10 - he has come out of his shell a lot and has grown in confidence. Used to hide away when our neighbour said hello, he now smiles and says hello. He always clung to me at playgroups and last summer wouldnt even go on a slide at a park if there was another child on it.

DS started pre school last september and that has helped me a lot. Otherwise we just never made an issue of it, encouraged him a lot and were very patient with him. Now I wouldnt say he is very outgoing but he has lost that extreme shyness and is happy to play in a group.

So just hang in there, give it time, just give your DS lots of encouragement and dont force him to mix. They grow up a lot at the age of 3 and get to grips with the world outside their family and gradually learn how to deal with it.