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Suddenly, at the sight of a strange face, your baby will snuggle up against you, or even start to cry. Even his grandparents can no longer hug him! He “sticks” you like never before, and you don’t understand why.
>>> To read also:“Baby at 8 months”
“My baby always wants to be in my arms”
This is the famous “Fear of strangers”, which appears around 7-9 months. It is a stage which testifies to a sacred evolution: the baby is now capable of distinguish the known from the unknown. He realizes that his mother is a separate person, and fears losing her when she leaves. We call it “separation anxiety”. Normal therefore that your little one is reluctant to go from arm to arm, that he is also worried about the irruption of “the strange” in his universe. And there are many fears : the sound of the vacuum cleaner, a child wearing a clown mask …
“Separation anxiety”, a normal stage of baby’s development
The appearance of fear is a protection mechanism. It is a manifestation of survival instinct, which makes it possible to detect and deal with a danger.
Rest assured: your baby is neither savage nor timid ! He just needs a little time to adjust to the world. No question of putting it automatically in the arms of those around you. Take a Soft voice, tell him about the people you are going to meet. He will be reassured to see that the situation is nothing to worry about.
It is better to avoid enrolling the baby in the nursery or with a nanny during this period. But if you can’t help it, adapt to her new childcare arrangement smoothly. Likewise, specify to the “strangers” around you the period the baby is going through: “He is not wild, he is just afraid…” That way, the fear will pass much better.
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Give him some benchmarks
To reassure him more, we can set up a ritual at each separation: the nanny shakes a toy – always the same – to coax the child… The important thing is to stick to benchmarks, which will secure it during this difficult passage. Now is not the time to move … According to shrinks, this period, which can last one or two months, is a founding experience. After having merged with his mother, and acquired a sufficient basis of security, the baby begins to distance himself from it, in order to be able to quietly explore the world. A first step towards autonomy!