QuoteReplyTopic: Could it be seperation anxiety at 5mths? Posted: 18 May 2009 at 9:46am
Im in a panic as Im going back to work part time as of the 2nd of June, Caitlin will be 6mths old then but is only 5mths now and i'm having major problems leaving her with anyone!
Ive tried leaving her with my mum, as she is going to be looking after her on mondays for me.. She looses the plot completely, won't eat, won't sleep, won't play all she wants is me, and then if I come back all she wants is mummy cuddles!
I just don't know what to do, today we are trying it that mum comes here for a couple of hours and i'll go out for a walk or just stay out of the house just to see how she goes... as she doesn't settle at mums house so we are trying it here!
Has anyone else had this problem at this young age and how did you cope and fix it! She's going to inhome care in 2 weeks for 4 mornings a week i'm so nervous!
My daughter went through this at a similar age. We dealt with it by Me going "bye" every time my mum was over - even if it was only out to hang out the washing. After lots of short mummy bye bye's she realised I'd be back. It's all about memory permanence. In her world, if she can't see you right now, you're not there at all. So you need to work on this by playing memory games. Take a favourite toy, put it under a clear container and ask/ show "where's the toy?" oh! It's still here. Then put the same toy under an opaque container and repeat, then under a coloured container. If this game is working, she'll try to look under the container rather then losing interest because her toy is gone.
DO leave her with your mum or somebody else familiar, start with 2 or 3 minutes then come back. Increase the length of time you are gone gradually, and even though there will be tears that you're going, she will soon get over it once she understands that mummy will be back.
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