Mr. Social

This past Sunday we went to the playground. We missed the last few playground Sundays because we were either away (like the previous Sunday at the beach) or other moms weren't there. So we hadn't seen our neighborhood friends for a few weeks.

As always, we was excited to go to the playground. Since I expected the same scenario that had been playing itself over the summer where we get to the playground and then he sits in his stroller, observing kids and crying "kuci, mamma, kuci," I didn't think about it too much.

Except this time, he actually got out of the stroller and sat next to me on the playground edge for a few minutes before wandering off to play and interact with kids.

I was thrilled. The shy spell must be over. I actually read on BabyCenter recently that the wanting to go home behavior could be a sign that a child is stressed-out about a situation. I don't know why he could've been unconfortable at the playground but I'm glad I didn't push him over the summer.

On our way home from the playground, we swung by the other smaller playground that's closer to our house. He wanted to go down the slides. He first went down the little slides a few times, like he's done numerous time before. Then he climbed up to the big, twisty slide. The one I always have to come down with him. So down we went. But then, he climbed up again to go by himself. Several times. Again, I was thrilled. He had been slide-averse for the last few months and had never wanted to go down the twisty slides by himself. And now he did it.

All it its own time.