3 year old boy won't play with other children

[TwosaCrowd]

Not sure what to do :( His preschool teacher says they try to encourage him to play with the others but he just wants to play by himself. When I try to encourage him to go play with somebody else he just says "but I don't want to play with anyone else, I want to play all by myself". It's a bit sad :(

WWYD?

I think that's quite common at 3. How old is he exactly? All three of my DC were like this when they were a 'young' 3. My youngest is about to turn 4 and has just developed an interest in playing with others her own age at nursery - literally in the last month or so.

Pre-school weren't bothered at all, they saw it as a natural developmental stage, and kept me informed about when each child began to get interested in others (and who they were interested in so I could set up playdates ). If yours is concerned, I would think that either there is more to it (and they need to tell you that) or that the pre-school is not very good!

My 3.7yo ds is the same. He goes to nursery 1.5 days a week and only ever plays with one boy - a pre existing friendship and someone who he fights constantly with outside of nursery but is best buddies with in nursery! He has expressed feeling "left out" but tends to be a bit of a loner like his dad

That said, I have my question marks re ASD for ds...only time will tell.

Are you worried? What's he like outside of pre school on play dates etc?

My son was like this for most of his first term at pre-school. He made a friend in the last couple of weeks of term, and now a term later he chatters away about several children. The staff didn't seem worried - they said he was quite happy and confident playing by himself.

I'm mixed on this really. He plays really well with my friends son who is the same age, and he's known since he was a baby, we see them a lot. And last night we had dinner at a pub and he was off playing out side in the garden with some other children playing hide and seek. His teacher just marked him down for his age for "making relationships" because she said he just wants to play by himself, but then did go on to tell us later that he is being "bulldozed" by the "louder" characters in class, as he's quite a mild mannered little boy and not one for pushing or snatching - this goes against him when playing with louder rougher children.

in that case, I probably wouldn't worry too much: playing with unfamiliar children is a good sign (and not something ds would do). If he doesn't like the rougher play of the pre school, can they support this and arrange quieter activities? Ds would probably talk to anyone if it was about the nursery computer! told you he sounds a bit on the spectrum, just like his dad!