Stressing about settling DS with CM

[azazello]

DS is 11 months and having stonking great separation anxiety issues when he's not immediately able to touch me. He is miserable with DH and my mum both of whom he lives with.

I'm just starting to settle him with the lovely CM who also looks after DD and its proving a bit stressful. In brief, he will be with the CM on his own 3 mornings per week and then have 3 afternoons with DD and the CM's DD. I'm off the other days.

So far we've done 2 hours with me there - fine but screaming blue murder when I left the room, 2 afternoons for 2 hours when DD is also there (1 good, 1 patchy) and a morning for 2 hours - needed constant distraction and entertainment. I go back to work in 2 weeks and don't know what else to try to get him to settle. he doesn't have anything cuddly (his choice.

Any tips? or reassurance that we'll get there and it won't cause him life long damage...

You could try getting a talking photo album (about £15 - by Tomy, from Amazon), they've worked well with my new mindees. You put photos in of all the family/pets etc, then record messages on each page.

Its really easy for tinies to use as fabric tabs and works really well as comforting and distracting at the same time. One hint is that one parent started rhymes on each page 'round and round the garden, twinkle twinkle, little star' which was fab as I could then join in and complete the ending as little one 'read' the book - which then helped her link me with familiar/comforting things. :)

Also leave a blanket that you've used with him for nap times so it'll be a familiar smell.

Whatever you do though, it'll get easier in time! :)

Thank you very much. I'll give that a go!