Separation anxiety/settling nursery

[mm791]

Hi,

My baby girl (11 and half months) has been going through the settling in process with her nursery for about days now. Shes hating it, she screams hysterically, cries a lot there, doesn't eat/drink and gets all hysterical when I go to pick her up. Shes just finding it hard which is understandable.

Since starting nursery, I've noticed her breakdown crying when I take her new places or when she meets new faces. I took her to a shopping centre to meet my mum there. my baby girl broke down crying any time my mum tried to say hii, or anytime she got too close. She broke down crying any time the shop assistants looked at her, spoke to her, or when someone on the lift said hi. She's cry and try hug me/cling to me desperately. I believe she thinks she's getting taken away - I don't think it is stranger anxiety as she never had it like this. This developed because of nursery.

We went into nursery again today - obviously it wasn't a great session, I picked her up at lunch time. I then noticed she'd start crying when passer-bys said hi. We used a lift to get into the train station, she just went hysterical again when someone said hi to her and cried to cling to me.

Every source I read online says separation anxiety is normal, but I really think she's developed a fear of being left. She never used to be scared of new faces/people like this - or even my mum. She never used to cling to my in this desperate way. This is exactly how she clings to me every time I leave her at nursery.

Has anyone experienced this? Do you think this is impacting my baby?

Reading with interest as my little one has just turned 10m and we are experiencing separation anxiety however not as difficult as yours by the sounds of it.

It’s heartbreaking isn’t. Sending you love mama x

My little boy had a stranger fear stage where he would cry if anyone said hi to him or looked at him, even grandparents etc. It didn’t last very long from what I remember and he wasn’t going to nursery at the time, so it could be a coincidence your child is going through it when she is starting nursery! Are you happy with the nursery generally and how they’re handling things? It will hopefully just be a phase but see how she is going and trust your gut feeling.

Going through the exact same thing with my 19m old!! Nursery has turned him into a totally different kid and it's so upsetting! Really hoping this faze ends very soon otherwise I'll probably consider taking him back out of nursery but thought it would be good for him to interact with others. He doesn't eat at nursery either and I ring a couple times throughout the day and he just doesn't settle. Now even if we go to play centres of family members houses he won't even get off my knee! It's so hard!