Dealing with Separation Anxiety

I'm looking for some suggestions for dealing with separation anxiety in a 7 month old. DS has it big time--around 6 months, he started crying when he was left alone even briefly in the evening. Now it has extended to a good part of the day, and bedtime has become a nightmare.

He's also teething, so I feel bad leaving him to CIO completely at this point in the event that he's actually in pain. But sometimes, he definitely seems to be crying just to keep DH or I with him.

So, any tips are appreciated! I just don't feel comfortable trying CIO until he's not teething, though we may need to give it a shot at some point.

Re: Dealing with Separation Anxiety

You are suppossed to explain what you are doing and if possible talk to them from the other room. Unfortunately there is no way to "cure" this stage.

Never sneak out hoping that it will make it better. No matter how bad it is you should always say goodbye and that you will be back. Of course they are so young that the language part of it they don't get but in time it will get better. the explaining and not sneaking out to is to develop trust.

Good luck. I would also look online there are great article that talk about this subject.

Re: Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Re: Dealing with Separation Anxiety

We did a lot of peek-a-boo, followed by - in the room, out of the room, in the room, longer out of the room....and we did it with each time getting longer & longer.

Make a game of it...talk from the next room so dc knows you're still there.

We didn't sneak out either. But I do suspect that at 6-9 months, they often were waiting for us to come back & fell asleep.

HTH

If you want my take on it, on old post is listed below
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Message edited 7/12/2008 10:30:27 PM.

Re: Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Thanks for the posts, and thanks for sharing your post nrthsrgrl. It's hysterical--too bad I missed it the first time.

I do always say, "Mommy needs to go in the kitchen. Mommy will be right back. Right back." Then when I come back I say, "Mommy is back," though I guess he won't get the language for awhile. He likes peek-a-boo too. But it sounds like this is all normal stuff and will just take him some time to realize Mommy does come back.

What throws it all off too is the teething. When he's in pain, I definitely want to hold him.