Separation anxiety occurs in children when they become restless and upset when they are left by their parents or other family members. It can cause a lot of distress between parents and children, but it’s vital to their development.
Here in this guide we take a look at the ways you can help with your child’s separation anxiety and what to do about it.
Practice short stints of separation
Start small by leaving your child in someone else’s care for 30 minutes. This can then be increased periodically over time so that your child gets used to you coming and going. As you continue to increase your child’s amount of separation there will be times where you can change their surroundings, leave them with other people, and continue to extend that time apart.
Talk about your future plans for the day
If you talk in the future tense your child can get excited for the next part in their day, especially when you drop them off for nursery. Giving them something to look forward to can make them feel happy to be with you and spend those precious moments with you more often.
Leave a comforting item with your child
A toy or a little blanket can remind your child of who looks after them and what they can use to comfort themselves if they’re feeling upset or overwhelmed. They will remind your child of you, while they look forward to seeing you again.
When you leave your child, smile and be happy
Smiling and waving your child away gives a more lasting effect. It can indicate to your child that they are more willing to take on the day, since you feel more positive about their experience already. By doing this you are teaching your child a happy lesson about being reunited and connected with you as they develop their skills.
Nursery-age children, found at places like this Nursery in Richmond, will pick up their confidence more as they get older, but it’s important to teach your child about coping without you being around. They won’t know this from baby age, so you will slowly have to educate your child through a range of techniques.