16 weeks old and won't be on his own

[Bells142]

My 16 week old baby won't be in a room on his own for longer than about a minute. As soon as he notices he is own his own he cries which very quickly turns to screams. Although I am trying very hard not to pamper him, he gets himself into a real state very quickly. It is making it impossible to do anything even got to the loo . Has any one got any ideas? And how long should I let him cry for?

the only thing that worked for me when ds was at that age was to carry him around in a sling.

washing up and going to the loo were a challenge but he was happy and, most importantly, quiet!

My DD was a bit like that. I always make sure she has an interesting toy and as I leave I talk all the time telling her what I'm doing, and keep talking (or shouting, depending how far away I am!). The older she gets, the less I worry about her crying as well... a few minutes won't do any harm.

Having said all that- at 16 weeks my DD almost lived in her sling, and yes, I did go to the toilet with her in it!

Sounds completely normal to me. The first time I took DD to the loo with me, I felt awful. Then I realised everyone I know does it too.

oh yes, and proping him up in a laundry basket lined with blankets and toys and dragging him from room to room was another thing that worked.

I used to have this with dd - we got a mobile for over cot and then got her used to that during nappy changes - then would put her in cot and put mobile on while i went for a shower, loo etc.

It was a tinylove one - played classical music for up to 15 mins and had little dangly animals and black and white swirly patterns that went round.

But I would get used to the loo thing - our dcs now range between 3 and 8 - a trip to the loo alone is a rare thing!

Totally normal your baby is still incredibly young. You might find it easier to just go with the flow and just take him with you. I used to take the bouncy chair into every room I was in. Meant I could have a nice long shower without worrying as baby was in the room looking around and I could see him through the soap suds. And as you get more relaxed the time flies and before you know it baby will suddenly be spending longer time alone and happy.

Totally normal. Use a sling/Baby Bjorn

It's not 'pampering' a 16wo to take him around with you - it's giving him security so that he has the confidence to be independent later. All the sling-recommenders are right - it's the key to a quiet, happy baby!

As others have said, it's completely normal. With my 2 children, I often took the bouncy chair with me from room to room if doing household chores of some form or other and talked to them whilst doing them, they loved it. Or used a sling depending on what it was I was doing.

I did work hard to get both of mine to nap in the day at this age. But even though they learnt to sleep well in a cot in a room alone. They still when awake didn't like being left alone

They do say peepo games are to teach them if you disappear for a moment you'll come back, don't they.

If I was nipping into another room for a moment, I'd keep talking to them as I went and came back, saying something like "mummy is just doing this and I'll be right back etc." So they could hear me if not see me.

Sorry mine's a bit of an essay