Overcome Baby Separation Anxiety Using Simple Strategies

by Inspiration4Living.com

Almost all babies experience separation anxiety to a certain degree at some time. However, you can help your baby to overcome this fear and be able to leave him with a caregiver for long or short periods of time if you work diligently to assure him that you will return.

When your baby can’t see you, he thinks you have gone forever; hence the baby separation anxiety. Leave him for a few minutes at first, then build up to however long you feel is necessary to combat his fears.

Some baby separation anxiety symptoms appear in the early months of life, while other babies don’t experience it until much later. You can understand how they feel; their primary caregiver and protector has suddenly disappeared, leaving them anxious and afraid – even if that caregiver (Mom or Dad) is in the room next door.

Try walking off into the next room for a few minutes, but make sure baby can hear you by talking to him. When you reappear, he will hopefully be confident that you are always going to return. Games like hide and seek, or peek-a-boo help your child to realize that he doesn’t always have to see you to know you are there with him.

Baby separation anxiety can appear when he is put to bed and you leave him; in which case you should go to reassure him that you’re still there. Don’t make these brief visits a time for ‘fun‘, though – keep it simple and then leave. If you feel that he’s going to cry, tell him that you’ll be back in one minute (or two or three) and go back to make sure he’s okay. This will show him that when you tell him you’ll return – you do!

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