Around a child’s first birthday it is common for children to develop separation anxiety. You may notice your child becomes upset when you leave them, even if it is to go into another room for just a few seconds. This is because your baby has just learned about object permanence. They realize that there is only one of you, and when he or she can’t see you, that means you have gone away. However your child does not understand the concept of time and does not know if or when you’ll come back.
If separation anxiety is proving a challenge for you and your child there may be underlying issues contributing to this which can be investigated. Parenting strategies can be adopted to lessen inappropriate and excessive separation anxiety. Separation anxiety manifests itself in preschoolers who have great difficulty being left carers other than their mother, or who become extremely distressed when their mother leaves a preschool setting, or who are withdrawn and extremely quiet in a preschool setting may all demonstrate separation anxiety. Advice and guidance on reducing separation anxiety can be given.
Separation Anxiety Disorder is different from Separation Anxiety. The disorder only occurs when fear over separation is severe and is associated with problems in social functioning.
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