Separation anxiety on 2.5 year old??

[JoandMax]

After advice as I'm going a bit crazy with 2.5 year old DS2....

During summer holidays he started to get a bit clingy, mummyish but we thought it was just a phase etc.

He has got progressively worse to the point he's hysterical if he can't touch me, won't let anyone else do anything at all, won't play at the playground on his own, wakes up screaming Mummy help me numerous times a night.

He goes to pre-school 3 mornings a week and is fine going there weirdly and happy when I pick him up.

No other changes in the background, it's escalated gradually and I have no idea what to do??!!

Any words of wisdom gratefully received

I am going through the same with my dd but at pre school mainly, app separation anxiety is at its peak at this age so Will be following your thread!

My daughter went through this and I promise you the best thing to do is to go with it..by that I mean let him be as clingy as he needs, we decided to let her get from me the contact she needed until she decided of her own accord that she no longer needed it, we have four children and she was the only one who as a result settled more easily at school and became a quietly confident child, let him cling as much as he wants to and I promise he will be the first to let go...good luck and ignore advice to be firm with him, remember he won't be doing this for long
Anthea x

Thanks, my instinct was telling me to just ride it out but it gets knackering!! He was so independent a few months ago it's like a completely opposite child. I feel sorry for DS1 too, he's just started reception and could do with some one on one mummy time but it's proving tricky.......

DS2 fell asleep on me earlier, he looked so peaceful and lovely and made me remember he's just a baby still, I shall persevere with the endless cuddles!

Roopickles - kind of good to now this is a normal phase! Let's hope it goes soon.....

DS (now 2.8) has phases of this. It's usually related to a developmental leap. I can't remember exactly when it was last particularly bad, but not too long ago he was in meltdown because I stood too far away from the pushchair when shopping.

2.5 - 3 years is one huge developmental leap, so it could go on for a while. Going with it and giving him the reassurance he needs will help him get over it fastest. You can read more about the developmental issues here