What can I do about Separate Anxiety?

[dodi]

Help - DS has started this in the last two weeks, won't let me out of his sight without bursting into tears. I can't even go to the kitchen where he can hear me. I talk to him all the time, so he can hear my voice but doesn't seem to work. How long does this go on for?

It's still going on for us, it has been since about 8 months and now DS is 15 months... TBH we just had to harden ourselves to it and try to act as if he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary... There may a magical MN cure though, who knows!

mine is 8 months old and she had been doing it for couple of weeks now as she is getting better if i leave her in the creche for half an hour but if i leave her for an hour, i can guarantee that she be screaming by then.... or eg if DP or my mum goes out of the room and no one is in the room she is ok, but if i go out of the room and she is on her own she start crying...or she be happily playing in the room in playpen and DP is there too but soon as i walk in, she start! (i dont pick her up when she is crying for attention as im quite a hardened (ish) mother!!

DS is 13 months and I thought I'd escaped but it's really getting me down now. I can't even have a pee! I have been just leaving him but his little face when I return breaks my heart. I know he'll get out of it, soon I hope. Thanks all.

Mine comes for a pee with me usually

my dd was the same from about 7m. I tried changing her toys which seems to work a bit, so that she is really engrossed in playing with something new (be it a saucepan or her favourite...tissues to rip up!)when i escaped for a few seconds. If she notices me leaving I always say "I am only going to... Mummy will be back in a minute" I am hoping she will make the connection that this sentence means Mummy will not be long. I have to admit that I do leave her to cry for a minute or so at times because I have no choice, I can't carry her when I am taking stuff out of the oven. Hopefully the family will all get through this frustrating stage intact . I know this isn't much help. Keep up with creche if that works to give you both space from each other and just try to ride out the storm!!

I don't want to worry you but... my ds1 suffered dreadfully with separation anxiety and didn't get much better until he was about 18 months. It was really, really hard work. He's still not very good at new places or big groups of people although he's fine to be left with people he knows (he's 2.7 now). Try to remember that your ds is not being naughty, it's just that he loves you and needs you, and feels frightened without you. This phase will pass... It helped me to think that he won't be clinging to my legs when he's 14