4.5 months old and won't be left with anyone else

[Pheebe]

Hello all. I hope this doesn't seem to callous but how can I help ds to be a little more independent and happy to be left with other people. I need to start working again for financial reasons but ds is very clingy with me and dh and won't even go to grandparents for very long when they visit us and he screams the house down if he can't constantly see one of us. Ideally I'd like to feel confident enough to arrange for him to go to a childminder a couple of days a week. Luckily dh and I are both self employed and are working round each other but this is meaning long hours and not alot of time for us. Obviously ds's happiness and well being are the most important things but I also want to avoid a big emotional drama for him when he really does have to start letting us go a bit. In all other respects he's an angel, eating well, sleeping 12 hours through most nights and a happy and contented chap most of the time. Any suggestions gratefully received.

[Newyearmum]

Tricky one. What if you found a decent childminder and then settled your ds in REALLY gradually, ie. for the first few times, you stay with them the whole time, then gradually reduce it by 30 mins each time? By then he might have formed more of an attachment to them - and learn that you'll come back.