When do babies care if you aren't there?

[Mobydick100]

At what age was it hard to leave your baby with someone they didn't know well? What age will They go to anyone and what age did they seem very relieved/ cry when you returned after leaving them for say half a day with a friend or family member that they aren't that familiar with? Thanks.

Depends on the baby dc1 - 3months to about 1 yrs he cared/screamed if left for 5 min. Dc2 never been that fussed, but she would have had dc1 there too so maybe that's why.

Depends. Dc1 didn't care who he was left with most of the time. Dc5 screamed for me when he was in the neonatal unit, it was awful. The nurses kept phoning me on the postnatal ward to ask me to come down and cuddle him because they couldn't settle him.

They always care if you aren’t there, but it’s likely easier for most babies before they go through separation anxiety phase (usually before 7 ish months) and then after it’s finished. But really it totally has to do with attachment. A baby who is well attached to a nurturing parent can be helped to bond with another caregiver who isn’t a parent so that leaving them with someone else isn’t too stressful. There will always be a transition period though. That isn’t a bad thing. It just means baby needs time to bond with that caregiver and that they are well bonded with you.

Mine started nursery at 8 months and was upset at drop off and pick up (which is normal) but well settled and happy otherwise. I would say she was probably 2 (old enough to talk about what was happening) before she never cried when she went.

My DC got separation/stranger anxiety at about 6 months, 9 months now and still going strong!!!

So in in a 5 month old baby, is it normal that they don't get visibly upset when you leave them for several hours with family members that they don't know well? I thought he would react when I returned but it was like he didn't care. Is that normal? He's just turned 5 months.

Separation anxiety usually kicks in at 9-12 months so don't worry!

There's a whole load of psychological studies done on this, inc animal studies. Have a read of this- it pretty much sums it up.

www.positive-parenting-ally.com/psychology-attachment.html

After 6 dc I found from about 6-9 months.

moby my 8 month old is happy going to most people, and settled in at nursery at 6 months with very few tears. His clinginess is more related to people leaving the room, but is happy being left with his grandparents and uncles and aunts, and he doesn't see them that frequently.

By contrast my friend's baby can be held by me, her Mum, her aunts and her older sister. Everyone else gets hysterical screaming. They are all different.

Newborn babies go quiet when they are not with Mum. It is a stress reaction.

yh that sounds fine, don't worry.

My Dc2 started nursery right in the middle of separation anxiety phase and even on day one drop off she told me to go away so she could play. Some kids are just more confident then others with strangers.