Separation Anxiety

Miss Naye who is 8 months and 2 weeks old, is already starting to experience separation anxiety from me. She is with me 24/7 pretty much, and of course she is used to being with me...and I am used to being with her. Separation anxiety is not something only babies or kids go through. We, the parents also go through that every time we need or have to leave our kids babysitting or at school. This is a complete natural feeling, normal and healthy development.

Here are some tips obtained from babycenter.com to help us weather the goodbye blues:

• Say goodbye in an affectionate but matter-of-fact way. Try not to draw out farewells or let yourself get emotional in response to your baby's crying.
• Stay away once you say goodbye. Resist the temptation to turn back and check to see that she's okay, which will only make things more difficult for you both.
• Call when you get where you're going. For peace of mind, phone to ask the caregiver how your baby's doing. Odds are she stopped crying almost right after you left and got diverted by an activity.
• Reconnect by spending some special time with your baby after you get home.
• Some babies react differently when different parents leave. If your baby is most upset when you're the one heading out, consider having your partner do the leave-taking when possible.

The first two are the hardest but it is what's need to be done that way your child can get used to it, and won't suffer much. The important thing here is to always spend quality time with them once we picked them up, and always. The best gift you can give to your child, is your time.

It's part of our child's development, and our development as parents.