Separation Anxiety – Help Your Children To Deal With Anxiety
If you are a parent of a small child, then you likely are all too aware of separation anxiety. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, separation anxiety is a common problem seen in young children starting between the ages of eight to twelve months old.
A child with separation anxiety can be attached to one single person or may appear to be without any reason and totally random, with a change every week as to which person they do not want to be detached from.
Separation anxiety can affect the parents in the same way it does the child. Wrestling with the temper tantrums or hysterics can be exhausting and frustrating if you are the object of attachment for a child who throws a fit every time you leave the room or leave them with a babysitter.
Often a child who suffers from separation anxiety may actually need to be constantly in physical contact with you. This can often make it difficult to do even the most mundane of tasks. So it can impact your ability to do the cooking, cleaning, and go about your daily business. If you have to work each day then leaving for work can be difficult. Even if you need some downtime for yourself after work, you may have a nightmare of tantrums.
Parents should understand that a child's separation anxiety is a normal part of their development. It is not caused by parents being overly involved or neglectful in their child's life. Although not every child experiences this or the extent of the separation anxiety will vary, it is a normal part of your child growing up.
Put aside a consistent time every day to address separation anxiety issues, such as informing your child that you need to leave but will come back shortly. You must then leave the house for approximately five or so minutes. Stay out of sight of the windows in case your child looks out. Your child may have a tantrum, but when you come back in the house, greet him or her as if nothing unusual happened and go about your normal routine, whether it's to read or watch TV. Let the child come over to you, but without any fanfare. If this is done enough times, your child will eventually get the idea and will have the secure feeling that you are there for him/her and feel less anxious.
Following the same routine over and over may help the child who is experiencing separation anxiety. As an example if your child is having a temper tantrum every time you must leave for work, try using the same approach every day and eventually your child will become used to the idea.