Hi. Over the last couple of months my ds has become increasingly anxious about being left by me. For example, when we go shopping he used to wait in the car while I paid for parking. One day it took a little longer than usual & when I got back to the car he was hysterical thinking I had left him. Now he has to come with me everywhere.
He recently went to Cubs for a try out but because I wasn't the first one there to pick him up he was very upset when I got there & now doesn't want to go again.
He has been invited to a party tomorrow & has been really excited about it until tonight when he said he wasn't sure if he wanted to go. I finally persuaded him to tell me why & he said he was worried that I wouldn't pick him up. So I have said I will stay for the party & he was happy.
This keeps happening. I am constantly reassuring him that I would never leave him & that I love him.
He also gets upset sometimes out of no-where about me dying & that he will be on his own if I die. I have a ds & his Dad & I are still together so I have explained that I have no plans to die any time soon & when eventually I do go he will be grown up with his own family & he will always have his sister.
Is it a phase? Will he grow out of it? It is heartbreaking when he gets upset & sets me off.
The separation/abandonment anxiety is getting frustrating & my dh & ds just get annoyed with him. He even gets anxious in the car with his sister in the car while I go to the cashpoint. Dd is 14 & thinks he is just attention seeking & gets really annoyed with him.
He is quite a sensitive boy, loves cuddles & tells me he loves me 100 times a day. On the flip side he is very well liked at school, has loads of friends, loves his xbox only slightly less than me (although it is touch & go sometimes), is very articulate. So apart from this issue which is now stopping him doing things outside he home, I would say he is a normal 8 year old boy.
Sorry for the long post. Any advice would be welcome.