Separation anxiety or unfamiliarity in a baby occurs from the age of eight months. At this age, your baby is very attached to a few trusted people and he absolutely cannot tolerate these people leaving him. It is a normal process in the early development of your baby. Sometimes it is a bit annoying because he will start crying even at grandmas and grandpas. It is a period you have to go through. You cannot take away or make separation anxiety disappear, but you can follow some tips that will help you relieve your baby of separation anxiety.
Mom and Dad are the absolute favorite
In the period around the eighth month of life, mom or dad are the big favorite. When he sees these people, he brightens up completely. If he doesn’t see them, he really panics. The degree of panic varies from baby to baby. It can sometimes be annoying, but it is actually a nice signal where your baby confirms that he has attached himself to you. Moreover, it is also a recognition that you take great care of a good upbringing. During this period your baby will also notice that there are many things he cannot really do yet. When you leave the room, he realizes very well that he cannot follow you yet, which causes him to panic or ask for your attention so as not to leave him alone. Your baby cannot yet estimate that you will only be away for a short time. To him, 5 minutes seems like 5 hours or vice versa. A baby’s sense of time is not yet fully present at this stage of life.
Separation anxiety in a baby
If your child is left alone somewhere, he may start to panic. After all, your baby isn’t really sure that you will come back. Over time, he will learn to realize that the period during which you are away does not last that long after all. Moreover, over time he realizes that you will also come back. After a few months, your baby will fully understand this and the separation anxiety will gradually disappear. It is also very possible that your baby has no separation anxiety at all. You will then be one of the lucky parents who do not have to experience this phase.
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Some tips to limit separation anxiety
You will not be able to eliminate separation anxiety from a baby, but you can follow some tips to reduce the feeling of anxiety.
- If your baby is playing in his room and you want to go to another room, you can briefly speak to your little one from the other room. By the fact that he hears your voice, he knows perfectly that you are still nearby.
- You say goodbye very briefly. Don’t let your baby think about the fact that you are going to leave. In childcare you say briefly: “mommy is going to work” or “daddy is coming to pick you up tonight”. By postponing your departure for a long time, it seems as if you will not leave. And then the goodbye becomes very sudden for your baby and there is a greater chance that he will cry.
- If your baby becomes afraid of going to sleep in a dark room, you can leave the bedroom door open for a while and do a few things nearby. This way your baby will hear that you are not far away.
- If your baby has to go to the hospital during this period, you can consider staying there to sleep. It will depend from hospital to hospital whether this option exists. If you notice that it is not really necessary for your baby, then you do not have to sleep over.
A hug as comfort
During the period of separation anxiety, your baby will benefit greatly from a familiar cuddly toy. The beloved cuddly toy means so much more than an everyday toy. The cuddly toy can then serve as something to hold on to when mom or dad are not there. Together with the cuddly toy, your little one will be strong and can handle the world. The afternoon rest in childcare can also go very smoothly if your baby has a sweet teddy bear next to him. A good tip is to purchase a duplicate of your favorite cuddly toy. This can be useful if you lose your cuddly toy.
