Common Signs That Indicate Separation Anxiety in Babies
By: Active Baby
Tags: Baby Anxiety, Anxiety In Babies, Baby Care, Baby

A baby or a toddler doesn’t understand things the way we do. For instance, they are not yet aware of the concept of time or object permanence (the idea that an object exists even when it is out of sight). Similar factors, including the ones I’ve mentioned, contribute to a rather common trait of newborns called separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety in babies is not permanent but it does last for a few months or even years. You must remember that it’s just a phase of your child’s development and nothing serious that needs medical attention or any immediate intervention. But, you must also try to make this phase bearable for you and your child. For that, you need to first identify the common signs that indicate separation anxiety in babies.

Signs of Separation Anxiety in Babies

Constant Crying

Crying is one of the most common indications of separation anxiety in babies. It is generally triggered by the absence of the parent. Even if you leave the room for a few seconds, basically vanish from the child’s sight, they start crying.

Crying in babies also often starts when they face new and unfamiliar situations. For instance, when you take them to a crowded place like a shopping mall or a park or introduce them to a new toy, you will sense the discomfort and hesitation immediately.

Tensing up Around People

Babies with separation anxiety are generally not comfortable around people because they are still in the phase of social development. They don’t like mingling with strangers or even with friends, family or the babysitter. When you try to introduce them to other people, you won’t see a smile or the baby reaching out for the other person. If anything, the baby would cling to you tighter than ever. It can be the fear of strangers or the fear of the parent leaving the baby with unfamiliar people.

And if you try to force an interaction upon the baby, you aren’t making things better but laying the path for loud screams and waterworks.

Interrupted Sleep

Separation anxiety doesn’t just exist when the baby is awake but also when they are asleep. More often than not, the baby would wake up crying for a parent more than once. Sometimes, the crying even occurs in the presence of the parent. It generally stops after the baby feels the presence of the parent around them.

Also, the baby would wake up early in the morning. Such cycles of interrupted sleep are clear signs of the baby’s separation anxiety phase.

Feels Lost Without Your Presence

For babies, their parents are the only safe place and person and the only permanent thing in their life. They don’t trust anything new or anyone else besides their parents. If you leave them in such situations, the end result would be tears or just a lost baby.

For instance, if the baby is happy and excited when playing with toys and suddenly notices that the parent isn’t in sight, all their attention will be towards finding the mother or father. They will be incapable of keeping themselves occupied unless there’s a parent around them performing the activity with them.

Now, separation anxiety can be difficult to deal with. But thankfully, it’s just a phase. And there are several ways to deal with separation anxiety in babies. So, if you feel that your baby is showing the signs we’ve discussed, it’s time to take some action.