Okay, so it's kind of ridiculous to have a parent-teacher conference for your toddler. I know that. And yet, it was so fun to sit and talk with someone about this little person who is your child, who is possibly a bit different outside the home than he is inside it, and to learn what others observe when we're not around.
The most surprising thing is that he has apparently given up the pacifier for naps at daycare. At home, he won't go to sleep without it. Alysa, the head teacher, said that she just forgot to give it to him one day about 3 weeks ago, and was amazed to see him fall asleep just fine. So they've never given it back and he doesn't seem to miss it. In general, he's a much better napper at daycare than he is at home - goes to sleep without a fuss, and sleeps for 2 hours plus. (At home, it's sometimes a lengthy battle, and he often wakes up after an hour and wants to play or to be cuddled for the remainder of his nap.)
Alysa says that the funniest thing is how much he likes to be alone, away from the other children. The toddlers usually move in a pack around the room, and he moves steadily away from them, playing by himself as far away as he can get. If they descend, he'll pick up and move away. He is also very passive, not fighting to hold onto a toy if one of the other kids comes up and grabs it away. (He never steals toys, obviously, since that would involve interacting with the others.) The teachers are trying to teach him that he doesn't have to give up, that he can hold onto something he's got, but so far he isn't very interested.
So he's very much our observer boy, watching what everyone else is doing but taking care to preserve his personal space. He gets very upset when anyone he doesn't know touches him - especially if they hug him. But he's very affectionate with all of the teachers in the infant room, especially Alysa. Alysa says she loves his giggle and tickles him a bunch of times a day just to hear him laugh.
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