Playgroup

Little man doesn't really play with other children yet. But he doesn't mind playing alongside them. As long as he doesn't think they're going to make a grab for whatever precious toy he has hold of. He won't be going to nursery if I can help it, so conventional wisdom tells me I have to take him to groups where he can get used to being with other children.

This morning he squidged a bit of playdough, pushed a toy buggy, trundled some trains round the track but got scared by a shrieky girl, found a squashy penguin, sucked on some toy bottles, threw some balls, looked at the fish tank and sat at the table for a snack of apple slices and cheese cubes. He also spent quite a lot of time playing on his own or with me in the 'quiet corner'. It's where they put the breastfeeding posters, but I have yet to see anyone doing it there. He liked playing with the furry cushions, especially when we pretended the black and yellow stripy one was a bee. He liked tucking dolly up in bed. Then he liked running across the room, between all the other children and all the other activities, and into my arms so I could throw him in the air.

He even tried to brush up but I had to tell him that the signs say parents are supposed to keep their children out of the kitchen area. Where the 'real' things are.

I'm now trying to decide whether to buy him various things: a toy buggy, a miniature dustpan and brush as the full-size ones really are a bit unwieldy for him, play pots and pans, a teaset, a rag doll (I might work out how to make one). Dare I say it?... Christmas will be here soon!