Just want a rough idea of what would be considered a normal amount of separation anxiety and if what my DS (18mo) is displaying is excessive.
He has always favoured me over his dad - DH is military and spends a lot of time away from home, but when he is home he is a very involved parent with both DCs. So I can understand from that point of view, that DS would naturally be more attached to me than to DH, but it’s getting to the point where I can’t leave a room without DS getting extremely upset, screaming “Mama!” At the top of his lungs, crying etc. He will follow me, still screaming and will grab onto my legs and scream “up!” until I pick him up and he instantly calms.
This evening, I was trying to cook dinner, DH was in the kitchen with me. I stepped away from the stove, picked up DS, then asked DH to take him while I dealt with dinner - cue another screaming fit, trying to escape from dh’s Arms, reaching for me, crying.
Last night (DS has never been a great sleeper), woke for his dummy so I went in his room and gave him it, laid him down and he was fine. Next time he woke, DH went in, DS starts crying and screaming Mama. DH picks him up to bring him to our room, he was still screaming for me, and he started making a real blood-curdling scream! The second DH popped him down on our bed next to me, he silenced immediately, curled into me and went instantly to sleep!!
Now, I understand that I’m the primary caregiver, I’m the one who is always with him, but understandably, DH is starting to feel pretty upset and thinks our son hates him 
How long do phases of separation anxiety tend to last? We’ve dealt with short episodes before, but nothing to this extent!