18mo separation problems

[LeBFG]

Hi there. Hope you ladies will be able to give us some tips.

I have a lovely, confident 18mo DS who spends a lot of time with me and DH but I've never sent him to nursery. He loves visiting people etc, but if I walk out of eyeshot or (god forbid) leave him to be babysat, he'll cry continuously until I or DH come back. I left him once for 2 hours and he cried the whole 2 hours! Then started crying immediately after arriving at the same house a few days later.

I'm in no mad rush to get him used to being without us. I'm sure it'll come with time, but meanwhile how can I gently help things along? It would be nice to have an afternoon catching up with chores in peace once in a while! Plus DC 2 is in the oven and after his/her birth I may well appreciate some time away from the toddler.

Do you have family close by who could help? For example leave him with his GM whislt you are close by but in another room? or with a friend? Sorry not very helpful. It took us 5 months to get my DS used to his childminder. He absolutely adores her now but has the odd morning where he will cry after I leave and stay by the door, put his shoes on and wait for me to get back and pick him up. It's cyclicle I think. Maybe try and find a good childminder in your neighbourhood and get him to do 1 or 2 mornings a week. By having other toddlers / children there of various ages he may engage in play and get over your disappearance faster. It usually takes a few days / weeks to get them used but they learn quickly that you do come back and it gives them the opportunity to build a new relationship with an adult.

Yes, that's an idea. He is distracted by other children. I have no family near, just friends and none of them have children unfortunately. I'll have to find a childminder with space for another but busy enough with other children to distract him.