Does anyone else have a clingy 4 year old ....

[sandyballs]

..... she's been like this for about a year. Whenever we visit friends or go to parties, or anywhere really, she sits with me for ages, eventually plucking up the courage to play but always within sight of me, she would never, for example, go upstairs with other children whilst I sat downstairs. It hasn't really bothered me, just thought it was a phase she would grow out of but recently friends have started commenting on it, saying what a long phase it has been! She happily goes to nursery and will play at friends houses without but if I am there she wants to be with me. We went to a party at the weekend and when it came to sitting down and eating I had to stand behind her chair! Not sure whether to be a bit firmer with her or just go along with it.
Her twin sister, by the way, is totally opposite, I rarely see her at parties or at friends houses!

Just curious to see if anyone elses kids are still like this at 4.

My youngest is 4 and is in reception class at school, he goes to school ok as long as we have the same routine everyday and I stand at the gate until he has gone in.
When he was younger I used to work 12 hours a week and he stayed with my parents from 12 weeks old until he started school in september and now he doesn't even want to go to their house for the afternoon unless his big sister goes with him! He was ok going to my parents until he started school.
At parties he has just come out of his shell and started to join in with the other kids just as its nearly time to go home. We have had school friends round for tea but he won't go to their houses unless I go as well. I just feel that if he doesn't soon change he is going to miss out.
The most embarassing thing though is when mil drives 15 miles to our house to pick him up to take him out for the day and when they get here he won't go with them even with his brother and sister.
Like you I don't know what to do, I just keep hoping he will grow out of it.