My ds is 6.5 and has recently finished his first year of school. He was always a bit of a 'fearless' toddler, wouldn't stay with us and liked to run off and explore. He's been pretty much the same since then but over the last few months it's like he's developed a fear of being lost/abandoned/left alone. If he loses sight of me in a shop he panics and bursts into tears, and it even happened at home one day. I walked my parents out to their car after they'd been visiting, and ds had been inside playing on a computer game. He knew they were leaving as they'd said good-bye, and we were only just standing out on the drive-way for a couple of minutes chatting. Shortly afterward I heard ds scream out (initial impression was that he must've hurt himself) and I ran inside to see what had happened - it turns out he thought he'd been left alone in the house. I was so shocked, I just couldn't believe he would think I'd leave him alone - anywhere. His latest comment to me was today, regarding the childcare centre he is going to next week (he's only going there for one day a week until the end of January, while I'm at work). He asked me if I was actually going to come back and get him, or whether I was going to leave him there
I just don't understand it. I tell him I love him every day, and I always re-assure him that we (dh & I) will always be there for him. I've never left him anywhere and not come back for him, ever. I stayed home with him from the time he was a baby until he started pre-school, & I studied from home so that I could be with him. He's always had a fairly regular, secure routine - good relationship with grandparents, playgroups, then starting school, etc. I only work 12 hours a week at the moment and I'm always there to drop him to school and pick him up. He's had a couple of hurts at school over the last two months when his good friend decided he didn't want to play with him anymore, and I think this 'friend' of his actually encouraged a few other kids to turn on ds, for no reason other than they felt like it . Ds was quite heartbroken about it but I have no idea whether this has had any effect on him or whether he's seen something in a movie or perhaps had a scary dream about parents abandoning their child..? Sorry this is long, but I feel terrible about this and don't know where it's come from.