It's not always easy for young children to make friends. (It's not always easy for adults, either!) Playing together and actually interacting with playmates is more common now for your 32-month-old than it was a year ago, but
It's not always easy for young children to make friends. (It's not always easy for adults, either!) Playing together and actually interacting with playmates is more common now for your 32-month-old than it was a year ago, but you'll still see behaviors that seem troubling (although they usually aren't).
Being bashful: Most toddlers are shy at some point in their young lives — sometimes around other little ones, sometimes around adults, and sometimes both. But being shy, at age two or three, definitely doesn't equal antisocial nor is it likely permanent; most kids will typically outgrow their timid ways during the school-age years.
Taking over: Once your toddler does acquire a core group of pals, whether at child care, in a playgroup, or among neighbors or cousins, he'll likely experience some growing pains. He may, for example, act bossy or fall victim to an overly bossy buddy (or both); toddlers love the sense of power they get from ordering others around, and they don't understand that this behavior isn't likely to be fun for their underlings. Keep in mind that this behavior is both developmentally appropriate and could even be hardwired in your toddler's temperament, so the best response is a combination of what you're probably already doing: encouraging empathy ("Steven probably wants to draw his own picture"), teaching manners, showing him (by suggestion and example) what it means to be a friend, and boosting his self-esteem.
Imagining a friend: About two-thirds of small children have a pretend pal. Kids who make merry with make-believe buddies typically have no shortage of real-life friends. P