If you have children, you may have already experienced separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is a common problem for children between the ages of 8 months and 1 year. Separation anxiety is characterized by a child starting to cry or even becoming hysterical when their parent leaves them with someone else.

Children with this problem become very tearful and overly upset, sometimes to the point of hysteria, when their parents leave them with another caregiver. When a child has separation anxiety, it can be a random individual they don’t want to leave, or it could be a specific person that they never want to lose sight of.

Separation anxiety can be just as upsetting and frustrating to parents as it is to the child. Nothing can be more disconcerting and exhausting than having to be constantly within sight of your child, or risk him becoming distraught should you leave him for any period of time.

Some children will often need more than just the presence of the chosen caregiver in the room to settle down. They will need physical contact such as being constantly held or in the care giver’s lap. Whilst physical contact is essential for the emotional development of a child, a child with separation anxiety will crave this contact too much. It will get to the stage where it is impossible to get anything done around the house which can lead to other problems. Furthermore, separation anxiety will make leaving the child with someone else before going to work or simply to run some errands a daily struggle.

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.

Try to set aside a specific time each day to work on the issue of separation anxiety. Perhaps after dinner each night you can tell your child that you are going out but will return shortly. Enter the house again in another five minutes or so, pretending that your child is not experiencing the same separation anxiety issues that may have been sparked by your initial departure. Be seated and busy yourself with reading, watching television or whatever activity you’re used to and allow your child to approach you. When that happens, behave normally as if nothing transpired earlier and continue your normal routine. If you practice this consistently, your child will come to realize that you will always return eventually, and his separation anxiety should subside.

To help your child get past separation anxiety, it is helpful to actually separate from him or her more frequently on a regular basis. For instance, if your child becomes distraught each time you leave to go to work, you may be tempted to stay with him all the time when you are not at work. Instead, it may be wise for you to try something different.