Things do get easier eventually although I wouldn't say problems go completely away as they age. We recently donated boxes of toys to a preschool and they were much appreciated. If I were to do it all over again, I'd stick even closer to open-ended toys. She's still using her rainbow silk scarves. Some of the nerdy toys like unit cubes can be great for imaginative plays too.
I stopped discussing DD's development with other parents after 12 months. During the first year, we talked about weight, height, and basic gross motor skills but when the topics moved to cognitive and speech language milestones, it became very uncomfortable. Oh, yes, she can account but isn't that normal? No?
The best socialization for DD has been with a teenage girl we all adore. She's leaving for college this fall and DD and I are already depressed over losing her.
DD is 4.5 now and she is finally gaining some level of acceptance with her preferred plate mates - boys age 7 to 9. SO is not happy about this trend at all and neither am I actually but she says they play the way she likes with LEGO and video games. She thinks girls (and boys) around her age are too different from her although she has one age-mate girlfriend she asks to play with all the time.
It's been a long journey for us and we are still taking it day by day.
