Toddler Shy At Nursery

[FreddieFoxtrot]

Hi there,

Wondering if anyone else has had this with their toddlers, and if anyone has some useful advice!

So my 2.5 year old boy is quite reserved with people he doesn't know or isn't comfortable with. He's very chatty and lively at home with us, speaks in full sentences (e.g. he said the other day "the monkey on the potty"), you can have a good back and forth with him and he does (largely!) follow instructions.

Nursery is a different matter. He's been there for about three and a half months now (we've recently moved country) and we've had feedback from the teachers that he's still very reserved, and often won't answer them when they ask him questions. I think he sometimes won't follow instructions either - I basically had to explain to his teacher that he is the opposite at home, very chatty etc.

I'm sure that most of this is down to the change of moving country, he's recently had a new baby brother - and he is reserved by nature anyway.

But I just wanted to see if anyone has ever encountered this, and what they did as parents to help? He is such a lively, big hearted, clever little boy, and it would be lovely for his nursery to see that!

Hi OP, our DD is nearly 3 and has been in nursery for a year and a half and is very shy too. She had a difficult time settling in, now, even though she has settled, she's still very reserved. In her small key worker group she will speak, and she will chat to her key person, but she rarely is very chatty with large groups. I think it's just her nature - she also has an 18 month old sister, and like your son, she is a chatterbox at home!

I'm sure that in their own time, they will flourish when they are ready