Crying as soon as their mom or dad goes away, fear reaction to an unfamiliar face… All babies go through a phase of separation anxiety in the 8th month. Tips to make it go as smoothly as possible.

The anxiety of separation corresponds to a phase of the development of the child. During the 8th month in general (but it can happen between 6 and 9 months) the baby understands that he is a whole person and that his parents are separate from him. When they no longer see them, he thinks they are gone.

In addition, he can better differentiate between familiar people and strangers and become afraid of them. This is why the fear of the stranger arises together with the fear of seeing his mother moving away. This period of separation anxiety is a necessary stage in the emotional and intellectual development of the child: it means that your baby is growing and opening up to the world. Separation anxiety lasts a few months and is more or less pronounced depending on the child.

Does your baby who loved everyone until then scream and hide behind you? Does he cry as soon as you his mom you walk away? Your child is in the midst of separation anxiety!

There are a few tips you can help your baby to cope with this period:

• Play hide and seek with your child. He loves this game and it teaches him that we can start having fun and being sure to meet again.
• Encourage a sense of independence: let your baby play without your direct supervision by talking to him.
• Leave him a “transitional object”: a scarf impregnated with your scent for example … This will reassure him
• Avoid excessively long periods of separation
• Let him know that you are going to leave him and that you are going to come back. Better to avoid leaving when sleeping.
• Give him time to get used to the new faces and don’t force him to go into arms he doesn’t want to go

During this period, your baby needs to be reassured, to be in your arms, especially in the presence of strangers and in new situations for him.

The period of separation anxiety is all the more difficult when the parents of the baby are separated. To keep things going well, at least at best, anything that can comfort the baby is welcome: photos of his dad at his mom’s and vice versa, a piece of clothing belonging to the absent parent imbued with his scent, the same blanket at mum and dad, the same hours …