Sudden separation anxiety at 4 years old?

[nikki1978]

Very strangely my 4YO DS has suddenly become very attached to me. Nothing out of the ordinary happened that I can think of recently (well his Dad went on a business trip for 10 days but they are not massively close at the moment so doubt that could be it). He is driving me mad constantly calling for me to find out where I am then running to find me, crying when I leave him at nursery and coming into my bed at night. He never used to do any of these things and has always been very independant.

Any ideas why this could be and how to stop it?

Anyone? He was crying again when I left him at nursery today and has wet himself a few times recently and we had only just got him to the dry stage!

Hi Nikki, You poor old things, both of you, it must be horrid to suddenly be hit with this. I've no straight forward answer but can only tell you what I know. As your son's 4, i guess you've recently heard which school he'll be going to in september - that's a big thing in itself. Massive change.

As well as that, is there any chance you can as gentle questions at nursery, or anywhere else he goes about how he's being there (what he's upto, who he's playing with...)

Could it be that he's overheard something? some news within your families that might have set his imagination going - or could he have seen something? there's been a massive amount in the news, understandibly, about death and destruction following Japan.

Please don't make the wetting into a big issue - it'll sort itself, he's been dry before. He's just got something on his mind that's making him clingy, but finding it takes a bit of gentle probing.

Good luck to you both. Please share lots of hugs to reassure him and let him know it's just his cheeky wee that you're grumpy with, not him and you still love him. Sorry to ramble. Steph

Thanks for replying! I have been wracking my brain to think of what could have worried him but am drawing a blank. We don't watch the news, nursery say he is fine there and there seems to be nothing different. Poor little bugger :-(