If you have children, you may have already experienced separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is a common problem for children between the ages of 8 months and 1 year. Separation anxiety is characterized by a child starting to cry or even becoming hysterical when their parent leaves them with someone else.
A child with separation anxiety can be attached to one single person or may appear to be without any reason and totally random, with a change every week as to which person they do not want to be detached from.
One of the most troubling issues for parents is separation anxiety as when a child becomes so emotionally tied to the parent that they become extremely upset if someone else takes care of them or even if they do not have the parent in their immediate sight. The child's emotional tumult can take its toll on the parent, too.
Some children will often need more than just the presence of the chosen caregiver in the room to settle down. They will need physical contact such as being constantly held or in the care giver's lap. Whilst physical contact is essential for the emotional development of a child, a child with separation anxiety will crave this contact too much. It will get to the stage where it is impossible to get anything done around the house which can lead to other problems. Furthermore, separation anxiety will make leaving the child with someone else before going to work or simply to run some errands a daily struggle.
Parents should understand that a child's separation anxiety is a normal part of their development. It is not caused by parents being overly involved or neglectful in their child's life. Although not every child experiences this or the extent of the separation anxiety will vary, it is a normal part of your child growing up.
Try to set aside a specific time each day to work on the issue of separation anxiety. Perhaps after dinner each night you can tell your child that you are going out but will return shortly. Enter the house again in another five minutes or so, pretending that your child is not experiencing the same separation anxiety issues that may have been sparked by your initial departure. Be seated and busy yourself with reading, watching television or whatever activity you're used to and allow your child to approach you. When that happens, behave normally as if nothing transpired earlier and continue your normal routine. If you practice this consistently, your child will come to realize that you will always return eventually, and his separation anxiety should subside.
To help your child get past separation anxiety, it is helpful to actually separate from him or her more frequently on a regular basis. For instance, if your child becomes distraught each time you leave to go to work, you may be tempted to stay with him all the time when you are not at work. Instead, it may be wise for you to try something different.
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