Hi there,
Looking for advice on my 1 (potentially 2) toddlers
I’m ND myself and wanted some input on my twin toddlers behaviour. They are 2 years 8 months. I will seek a formal assessment soon, but wanted to ask other parents for advice on how to best support learning, emotional development, introception (ability to identify feelings), and self esteem for my kids
I just want them to be well adjusted and not targets for bullying.
My daughter has the following traits (probably quite a lot like me) and I “indulge” all of them. What else can I do to help her?
Repeated behaviour
⁃ When playing with Lego, mega blocks or magnatiles, separates out the colour pinks and only plays with them
⁃ Gets obsessed with words and repeats them out of context (supermarket, then aeroplane)
⁃ Closing all the doors in a room (including cupboards and drawers)
Specific odd behaviour
⁃ Specific way she wants you to hold her hand or pick her up starting from a specific spot (you need to go back to that specific spot), otherwise she melts down
⁃ She does a little jig she does when she gets something nice to eat
Social anxiety
⁃ Shell shocked and tongue tied at nursery door (at drop off) after being super chatty with me in the car.
⁃ Shell shocked in new environments eg a new stay and play, a friends house, won’t play and will want to be held (this can carry on for 1.5 hours)
⁃ At nursery, every child does show and tell once a week with a toy brought from home. She doesn’t speak or says 1-2 words in hers in response to a teacher
⁃ Nursery has said she’s most comfortable with teachers and least comfortable in large groups (10+ toddlers). Slightly better in smaller groups. But prefers sitting or playing on the side.
Mess and dirt
⁃ Doesn’t like mess on her clothes shoes hands
⁃ At mealtime, she wants her bowl and utensils cleaned between “courses”
She doesn’t join the twin brother in imaginative play.
Her brother also shares the social anxiety traits above, but to a slightly lesser degree and he doesn’t have the other traits.
Is there anyone with advice on social anxiety in toddlers?
How much of social anxiety is practice?
My husband is non ND and very outgoing and socially at ease. Would it help for them to be out and about with him? (Im a bit more “uptight” and introverted myself).
Thank you!
