Help - seems like my 6 month old is miserable all the time!

[elly77]

My six month old seems unhappy all day and it's been going on for a couple of months. I think this is partly separation anxiety, but he wants to be held all the time and it's very hard to get him to play on his own without huge screaming fits after a couple of minutes.
He goes to a childminder who is finding him tricky as he takes all her attention...
It feels like the smiley little boy I had a couple of months ago has disappeared! Any tips for encouraging him to play by himself? Has anyone else been through this?

yep, exactly the same here. i just went with it, used a sling, often on my back so i could get on with stuff, and before long she was ready to play on the floor again. it is very normal at this stage to want carrying a lot. i just found it easier to accept it and let her grow out of it naturally. it probably lasted a couple of months. hard work though, isn't it, especially when everyone else babies are merrily playing on their own and yours starts howling if you even go for a wee!

sorry i don't have any useful advice re childminder, i was so excited when my dd stopped that i actually started a thread about it!

Is he about to start teething? Possible ear infection? My ds became a real pain between 6-10 months with both of these (poor little thing).

Try some chamomilla or pulsatilla (homeopathic remedies). Both might help with teeth or ears, if that was the reason for the change in temperament....

Thanks for the suggestions... I really hope like you say that it doesn't go on for long. It could be teeth, but I've been using that excuse to myself for the past few months for his misery and I don't think it's that. He did have an ear infection at 8 weeks that gave him hideous pain but having been through that already I think I can eliminate it now.. it seems to be more of a temperament thing. Will try the remedies though, anything that might help.

Was doing the same with the sling but unfortunately he's an enormobaby and I'm fairly small so he's getting a bit hefty to carry around all day... Babyphat was yours generally happy before the carrying phase? dd makes this terrible monotonous whiney sound like he's in the pits of despair!

yes, she was a really happy thing although always keen to be carried, basically extremely happy provided was being carried, but would often burst into tears when put down or handed to someone else.

she is very fat (22lb) so nobody can believe i still carry her, but i have a wrap sling and carry her on my back. (although she is nothing like as clingy now she still has her moments) in fact, i've just made dinner while she slept on my back! (dp works funny hours so am mostly looking after her on my own) she has just woken up and is giggling while i type!

i can't hack the whiny noise or crying myself, i think at this young age for them it probably is the pit of despair as they have no sense of perspective or time etc

Hello - my ds2 was like that and it passed but for dd (6m), I'm better prepared with diversions for when I really need to do something! Doorway bouncer and a DVD called Baby Bach (Disney, Baby Einstein series) each buy me around 20 mins happy time. A tippeee cup and teething rings will keep her happy in her high chair for a little while too
HTH

yeah weaning helped for me, finger foods in highchair is 20 mins distraction too