*Help! * Why does my 2yr old son physically stalk other children??

[TrippyBee]

Help! Why does my 2yr old son physically stalk other children?? I'm a full time mum and have always taken my son to playgroups, music classes, swimming etc. so he has plenty of interaction with other children, however over the last few months hes taken to becoming really boisterous and almost stalking other children. He gets really close to them and cuddles them really tightly and puts his head on theirs, he's not being nasty or violent but as you can imagine the other children dont like it. I've tried telling him off and putting him on the naughty step, I've tried distracting him but he seems obsessed. Nobody elses child behaves like this and its really embarassing. I have thought it might be an attention thing but at home and play group I spend lots of time playing with him and am jealous of the fact that my friends can sit and have a chat while Im on the floor playing trains to stop him from being so boisterous. Has anyone else had the same or similar problem, anyone got any ideas on what I can do, please HELP!!!

aahh that actually sounds quite sweet, but sorry no constructive advice other than to keep moving him away and telling him not to do it.

Or maybe you could get him a cuddly toy and say he can only do this with the toy or with family.

Cheers for that, I like the cuddly toy idea we have a huge sheep thats a bit bigger than him so I might try that one. Thanks

it sounds very normal to me tbh.
ds1 does it too.

He is probably just trying to interact but isn't ready to do it verbally.

I would not make a big thing of it, move him away and then change the subject - if possible try and interact with the kid he has just harassed.

He will get out of the habit and soon he will be gabbling away to all and sundry.

Thanks for the advice, all my friends tell me to not worry about it which is fine if he's being boisterous with their children but when its a strangers child I get glared at by the mother as if shes saying 'control your child!'. I've also tried interacting with the other child, but my other problem I didnt mention is he is extremley jealous to the point I cant touch another child without him almost rugby tackling me to the ground with his cuddles!! I know i should probably be grateful for the affection but its really starting to ware me down.

he's fine i'm sure. it sounds like he's actually a really friendly little chap, but he doesn't yet understand The Rules. (well, he's only 2!) if he has no older sibling to copy, it might take longer. i think the answer is to take him even more often to places where he is with other children - slightly older children too, so he can learn from them. also 1:1, as a large group of kids can get a bit messy! he might be able to focus more in his own home with one other child and you there to facilitate things like turn taking and stuff.