{"id":"42ddfcac136afac78bf3eb339dea9ba2","slug":"2yearold-cry-and-cling-me-whenever-we-see-other","question":"Why does my 2-year-old cry and cling to me whenever we see other children at the playground?","answer":"Clinging and crying around other children is completely typical for a 2-year-old. At this age, your toddler is still figuring out how to navigate the social world, and unfamiliar kids—or even familiar ones in an unpredictable playground setting—can feel overwhelming. It doesn't mean they're unsociable or that something's wrong.\n\nWhat matters most right now is that they're around other children regularly enough to gradually build comfort. When your toddler plays with peers in daycare, preschool, or at the playground over time, they naturally pick up crucial emotional skills like sharing, taking turns, and reading other kids' feelings. These early interactions shape how they'll relate to others as they grow. The crying and clinging will ease as they get more exposure and feel safer in those situations.\n\nFor now, stay close and let them warm up at their own pace—there's no rush to push them into play before they're ready. Consistent, low-pressure time around other children is what builds their confidence over weeks and months.","sources":"[{\"pmid\":\"41153094\",\"title\":\"Social-Emotional Learning of 2-Year-Olds Within Peer Interactions in Early Childhood Education Settings: A Scoping Review.\",\"journal\":\"Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)\",\"year\":\"2025\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41153094/\",\"score\":0.72}]","thread_json":null,"topic":"toddler-behaviour-emotions","view_count":0,"created_at":"2026-10-22T00:01:28.188Z"}