Is This Separation Anxiety?
My baby is six months old and I literally
cannot put her down for one minute...
Anxiety Question:
My baby is six months old and I literally cannot put her down for one minute. If she isn't in my arms (and she also prefers that I stand), she is crying.
I can't get anything done and it's really starting to affect me. I put her in her bouncy seat or swing and she'll play there for 10 minutes tops but only as long as I'm in the room. The second I'm out of her sight (even just a minute) she bursts into tears.
Is this separation anxiety? What do I do?
Anxiety Answer:
You put her in her bed to play as long as she'll play and when she starts to cry, let her cry.
She needs to understand that you are there even if she can't see you. If she is able to at least crawl around, let her. Let her follow you around as she crawls so that she understands that you do go places without her, but that you are still there; even if she can't see you.
I tell you from experience that the separation anxiety will only get worse if you don't teach her now that just because she can't see you doesn't mean you're not there.
If she responds to your voice when you call her name from the other room by stopping the tears to hear you, then she just needs to be shown. Every time you pick her up because she simply can't see you, that makes her separation anxiety worse as well as your anxiety about the matter. You have to let her cry and at first; it will probably make you cry also, but you are doing what is best for her.
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