5 month old won't let anyone else pick him up !

[realmummy]

Help!

For the last couple of months my DS gets so upset if anyone other than DH or myself picks him up.
He is now 5 months and showing no signs of getting better.
He is generally ok if they don't pick him up, but you kind of need to every now and then with a little one.
It's only when DH or myself take him back and hold him that he calms down from sometimes quite a state !

Any ideas on how to wean him off this clingyness ?

I read that it's not till about 7 months when the real seperation anxiety starts !

all mine have done this - some worse than others.

I think indulge them as much as you can afford to - this will keep them feeling secure and should mean they grow out of it quicker. Lots of time spent with a couple of significant adults (apart from you or dh) also helps.

We have the same problem, except often she won't go to my DP either. I've tried to give her to other people whilst I am there and she can watch me. And she has learnt to reach her arms out when she wants back and I follow that cue.

I'm also dreading when it's supposed to get worse. Unfortunately circumstance just means there's not that many people regularly in her life. Hope your ds lets you have a rest soon.

I have one of these too, a 4.5 month old, who only likes me or Daddy, or his 5 year old bro, although he does not pick him up, just cuddles, he's just getting used to Grandma (MY Mum), slowly, with a 2-3 min cuddle at the moment, I just bought a Quinny Currb hip carrier thing to enhance the day to day togetherness so I can get things done and not have permanant arm and backache from holding him ALL THE TIME, I have found that spending at least an hour in the AM and PM, just me and him cooing and lots of eye contact has helped him feel more secure with others, kind of lots of me time and his anxiety seems to lessen. Although tonight he's screeched when I put him down to make tea, so stressfull but my 5 year old needs feeding! It's hard, don't know what else to say, except I know where you are coming from! MIL thinks he has a 'problem' I just hink he's a baby and my MIL is the problem!

Ok dokey, sounds like I just need to be patient then and hope for the best.

My dd was fine being held by others that she knew but around this age she refused to take a bottle from anyone other than me or dh, which she'd been doing happily when she was younger, it got me into a panic about what I'd do when I went back to work but it only lasted a couple of months and then she was fine again. I was told its around this age they suddenly develop a much better awareness of people and can become clingy etc and that it gets better. Dd is 2 now and is much better although she still gets clingy when she's teething or ill, and won't let her swimming instructor hold her!