Child Separation Anxiety: Does Your Child Have It?
If you are a parent, then more than likely you may face the
common problem of separation anxiety in your child. What exactly
is child separation anxiety? In a nutshell, this is the type of
anxiety or stress your child may encounter when you leave
him/her alone and they get upset or cry due to the separation
involved. The reason they get upset or cry is because the child
learns to remember objects or specific people, and when those
objects or people become absent, anxiety sets in.
The separation can be scary to a child because they are not sure
if you are leaving them for good. They are more aware of you
being around all the time and used to it. What they aren't
familiar with is you leaving and returning.
In most cases, this type of separation anxiety or stress is very
common. But, if it persist, it may become chronic and have
lasting effects on the child down the road.
Typical instances when your child may face separation anxiety
may be when you drop your son or daughter off at the babysitters
or even during those first few days of daycare or school. The
child will typically cry, become withdrawn, and be difficult to
deal with.
So the big question is, when does separation anxiety with your
child need to be looked at more closely?
And most importantly, what should be done to stop it early so it
doesn't have lasting effects on the child as they get older?
One must remember when dealing with a child with child
separation anxiety, anxiety can be contagious. The more you show
it, the more your child will pick up on it and make the
situation more difficult. An easy way to get on top of the
situation early is to play small "leave and return" games with
your child. This way, they get accustomed to you being gone in
short intervals, and most importantly...get accustomed to you
returning. A simple "peek a boo" game or