Baby unsure of strangers

[Rosebud1302]

Hi all,

My DS (6.5 months) has always been wary of strangers. He isn't a baby that will just smile at anyone - he really has to know you or he has to be in a super good mood! Recently he has escalated to crying when he is with someone he doesn't know. For example my friend held him for two minutes while I went to get a drink and he cried after about 30 seconds. This happens a fair amount unless it's family or me obviously.

I don't have a problem with it in the sense I find it inconvenient of COURSE but I was just wondering if this sounds normal? I'm worried he will have such strong attachment to me that he will really struggle when he goes to nursery or if anyone else holds him. I am only asking because all of my friend's babies seem to smile away and be very chilled out with everyone so I want to make sure I'm not failing him somehow :(

TIA!

Bump :)

Sounds like normal separation anxiety to me. Babies can really vary at what age and to what extent it kicks in. DS it was more like 10 months, DD it kicked in at 6 months. She'd howl if anyone who wasn't me or DH tried to hold her, or if I walked away from her. They outgrow it as they get older, although DD at almost 2.5 will still howl if I leave her with someone she doesn't know (e.g. with a friend so I can go to the loo) although she's OK now with someone she sees regularly.

Of course it's normal.

Sounds normal to me.
My DS was like this for most of his first year. I blame it on the fact that I live away from family, and DH deployed overseas with the military when he was only a few weeks old, so I was the only adult face he really knew well, and he would freak out if he couldn’t see me or if I was more than a few feet away from him.
Separation anxiety is totally normal and they usually grow out of it on their own DS is 2.5 now and a social butterfly. He still likes to check I’m close by at toddler groups etc, but he will happily go off and play with other kids or show another adult a toy without hesitation now.