we have two children 4 and 3 very close in age. they have both always been reserved - always hold back if other children come and get in front of them on a slide, never go into a room of strangers and look as if they own the place. Children are different yes? so why when we went to a birthday party a few weeks ago - two other children came in and clung around their mothers and straight away the mothers said "she is being shy, she is normally never like this". I know I feel uncomfortable, feel my children should be skipping into the room and full of confidence and outgoing but they are not. The 3 yr old has been going to a playground since january (3 mornings a week) and the lady running it says my daughter is still very quiet. but yesterday she saw her best friend from there in the library and she had a whale of a time with him. She is quiet, reserved and takes a long time to warm up and then tears around with children she knows well (which is only a couple of children).
I think this lady was being overdramatic when she said my daughter looked sad and it upset me for her to say that - like someone is saying you have been a bad mother because your almost 3 yr old is not outgoing.