I just came back from a birthday party for one of DS's classmates and I am just amazed at how much he's grown since last year. He is a very shy kid and at his first birthday party last year, he pretty much sat in my lap the entire time and cried whenever someone came up to him and said hi. He didn't speak in class to anyone until March and he didn't play with anyone until April.
I started to set up playdates with kids that the teachers recommended and sent him to camp at his preschool over the summer and this year, it's been a completely different experience. He looks forward to school and asks about his friends (the ones we had playdates with) all the time. He is still very shy and takes some time to warm up, but he's much more confident in himself.
At the party yesterday, he clung to me for the first 5 minutes and said he wanted to leave, but I stood with him against the wall for a few minutes and encouraged him to join his friend. He went off tentatively and never looked back for me for the rest of the party! He would have never let go of my hand, much less leave my side a year ago!
Re: So proud of DS