3.5 year old clingy and shy lately….

[Al122]

Hi Guys!
I have a 3.5 year old son. He’s always been pretty social/confident, but lately that seems to have changed all of a sudden! He’s being really clingy with me especially and always wants me close by. He’s been really shy and will wrap himself around my leg and hide his face when strangers are around, and he is also doing this with people that he has known since he was a baby (example - our neighbours). They will try to say hi and he will just cling to my leg and say ‘Mama’. Is this a phase that they go through at this age? I am trying to give him lots of hugs/snuggles and encouragement, but I’m feeling a bit nervous because he will be starting school in September and he’s so shy lately.

My DS is the same age but different in that he has always been shy around adults and kids he doesn’t know. However, he’d grown in confidence over the past few months. But, the last couple of weeks he’s been physically hiding his face, wanting to be picked up or running off and hiding if we see people we know (at the park etc) and even doing the same for the first 5 minutes when he sees his grandparents! So I don’t know the answer but I’m thinking maybe it’s not shyness as such but an age-related phase and he feels self-conscious or embarrassed in a way he didn’t before.