With time, patience and love, children learn to feel safe even when their parents are not around.
- Separation anxiety is a normal stage of emotional development, which can lead to a lot of baby crying, especially when a parental figure leaves the field of vision.
- This anxiety occurs around 8 months, when the baby begins to develop the ability to imagine where his parent is located in the house.
- To help him overcome this anxiety, you must take the time to explain the situation to him.
Finding your baby crying when you leave the room can be disconcerting and heartbreaking for parents. This behavior is usually attributed to separation anxiety, a normal stage of emotional development.
What are the manifestations of separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is a normal stage of children’s development that usually occurs around 8 months, and sometimes a little earlier. It appears when the baby begins to develop the ability to imagine where his parent is located in the house. This understanding reassures him, but as he nevertheless prefers your physical presence to feel safe, he will show his anxiety through crying.
During this period, he may also be reluctant to be held by strangers, or become agitated in new environments. This natural reaction is due to his emerging understanding of the permanence of objects and people, which makes him anxious when his attachment figures are not visible.
Helping your baby adjust
At this stage, it is important to help your baby gradually get used to new people and surroundings. To do this, take the time to gradually familiarize him with new faces and places. Certain games such as “peek-a-boo”, where the parent briefly disappears from sight and then reappears, can help, or games of hide and seek.
You can also leave a familiar object like a toy or piece of clothing with your scent on it to comfort him while you’re gone, or make noises or speak out loud when you’re in another room.
How to help him separate?
It is when it comes to leaving your child that he may show his anxiety with intense crying. That’s why saying goodbye and explaining when you’ll be back can help create a predictable routine. If your child is crying, take the time to comfort them before you leave and involve your caregiver in shared activities before you leave to ease the transition.
By showing trust in this person, your baby feels it and can trust him too. Although this won’t prevent crying at first, with patience and affection, all children can gradually learn to feel safe.
