Baby Separation Anxiety

Baby separation anxiety

Introduction

The anguish and restlessness that a baby manifests to separate from his parents is what is understood as the separation anxiety. It arises as instinct, the baby lives separation as a danger or a threat to its safety. That is, separation anxiety is the fear that babies feel being away from their attachment figures. 

Developing

Baby separation anxiety is normal? Baby separation anxiety usually starts at eight months of life and can be maintained until 14 or 18 months. The psychologist Kathleen Stassen states that the anxiety of separation in babies during the first year of life is normal and intensifies around two years and then decreases again. 

However, he warns that if at three years he continues, it is possible that it is an emotional disorder. The strange situation of Mary Ainsworth as has been advanced, the anxiety that babies manifest when they separate from their mother is a normal phenomenon;Even some theoretical proposals appreciate it as a good signal. Mary Ainsworth, in his experiment the strange situation, analyzes the reaction of babies when his mother is absent and leaves the child alone or with another unknown person. 

Ainsworth, from his experiment, develops a classification of attachment types: safe, insecure-evitty and insecure-environmental. According to this theory, in the healthiest type, insurance, babies cry and protest when they separate them from their mother. That is, babies express anxiety when they are separated from their mother;What a healthy attachment sign means for Ainsworth.

Strategies to relieve separation anxiety in your baby to warn your baby from your absence. 

Sneak without saying goodbye to your child and not showing you that you are going to absent you can make things worse. Your baby will feel confusing and insecure when you realize that you are not close and will suffer more in the next absence. Brief farewells. At the time of absent you use a toy as distraction and quickly say goodbye. Extending the farewell, for example, with a long hug can mean an alarm signal for the baby. Normalize absence. Try not to exaggerate the farewells, stay calm and with a smile on the lips. This will provide your baby with more security and will end up ceasing a few minutes after your absence.

The Stepadder approach This approach is a way to help step by step to overcome anxiety in babies and children. It consists of helping your child to face small challenges before facing more scary ones for him. It is based on the graduated exposure and encourages children to face their fears instead of avoiding them: helps to accustom your child to face situations that originate anxiety.

Face their fears and learn to overcome them. They learn to use and put into practice skills learned in similar situations. Feeling of progress as they advance. Do not avoid your children the difficulties of life. Teach them rather to overcome them. Louis Pasteur in synthesis, the anxiety of separation in babies is a logical phenomenon and is a normal part of development.

conclusion

For a baby, his mother is everything and from the point of view of survival anxiety at this stage acquires meaning. However, it is necessary to know how to conduct this anxiety so that it does not remain in your child and can lead to an anxiety disorder. Preparation, short and routine farewells and the passage of time are the best ingredients to cope with anxiety in newborns. Once your baby observes that you always return, he will realize that you do not abandon him. This will help you feel more and more safe and independent in your absence.