Gen Leung Piano Studio, Oakville Ontario

So it begins.... separation anxiety. Ellis has recently been showing signs of great separation anxiety particularly with me. Not so much with his dad, because he's used to Daddy going to work and not being at home with him during the day. But with me... I can't leave the room now without him crying for me to come back and pick him up. And it's so much worse when he's tired!!

Oddly enough though, he doesn't do this when it's nap or bedtime. He will happily lie down in his crib and get ready to sleep. I can leave the room and close the door, and not a peep out of the little boy. But when it's playtime, or even after I finish changing his diaper and set him down so I can wash my hands, get ready for the tears, kicking, and of course the loud, piercing scream that would make anyone's skin crawl. 

And now, he has a cry that you can clearly tell is one of those cries that's not really a cry, but enough to produce big, fat tears streaming down his cute little face. And he gets so worked up when I leave him in his playpen and don't tell him that I'm going to wash my hands... but when I return to him, mere seconds later, he smiles and he's fine. 

And when I try to leave the house while he's napping (and there's someone else at home, of course), when he wakes up, he keeps looking for me. Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely heart warming to know someone loves and relies on me that much... but I don't want to be causing him any stress if it's not needed. So I've gotten very good at running out very quickly and getting all my grocery shopping done fast! The ladies at the grocery store know, when they see me, they check me out quickly!!! Lol!  (I love small, independent stores!)

I have noticed that if I need to leave the room for a minute, if I tell him exactly where I'm going, he's fine. And if he can hear my voice, he's fine. So I've taken to wearing him in the baby sling again and taking him everywhere I go just so he doesn't get himself more worked up.... maybe I'm making things worse by keeping him too close to me. Hmmm... I'm sure I'll get some parents emailing me and saying that I can't spoil him by wearing him, and then I'll get others that say I should keep him with me ALL the time! But hey, centuries worth of women wearing their babies must have done something right. Luckily my little guy likes being in the sling! Comfort, warmth and easy access to pulling Mommy's hair!

Oh, I just remembered, the hardest now is getting out of the car!! He is completely calm and happy-go-lucky when we're moving in the car and even when the car is stopped. But the minute the car is turned off and I get out of the car so I can get him out of the car, he crying and screaming starts. And his sweet little face is so innocent when he sees me, as if to say "Mommy, don't leave me!!" So I'm constantly telling my little Monkey Boy that I'll never leave him and that seems to reassure him, then I get a baby hug which may be my favourite thing in the whole world (and baby smiles, laughs... anything he does really is my favourite!!)

If anyone out there has any tips or suggestions so I can help my little guy ease into this new phase, I'd love to hear it!