Suddenly your baby starts to whimper and cry whenever you leave the house and even if you are just heading to the bathroom. Don’t worry; your little one is going through separation anxiety phase. For sure, separation anxiety is dreadful for both child and parents. It can hit your child at any age, being a baby of 10 months or a toddler of 2 to 3 years but no one knows why some kids barely pass through this phase while others gets consumed by it.
Your child will start wondering where do you leave him and go. By just saying “I am going to work” for him it means you are beyond the moon, or in an unreachable place. He only feels that he is left alone at home without the possibility of imagining your work world. To ease this anxiety and remove the guilt feeling of leaving your child at home, you can follow the below steps:
Schedule “a day at work with mammy”. Take your child with you to work. Let him experience the drive to work, the building, the offices. He would be delighted to see his paintings hanged on your office wall and his pictures everywhere. He will see the phone from where you call him to check on him during the day. This way, your child will be able to build memories about your office and associate them to you when you are at work.
Follow a daily routine. Wave goodbye to him and do not sneak out. Use a positive tone when leaving. Your child can sense your anxiety and fear.
Involve your child in an activity before you leave. This will help him to get distracted. He might still cry but the activity will shorten the anxiety time.
Teach your child to express his feelings. Tell him that you miss him also and you feel the same. Explain that you will come back in the afternoon after work and will stay with him.
Remember that this anxiety is just a phase. It will disappear when your child grow up. The most important is to teach your child how to overcome his fear and emotions.
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