Somehow we escaped the separation anxiety phase ... until now. I know that kids experience separation anxiety at different ages, but Benny has always been pretty laid back about having me around. About two weeks ago, he turned 180 degrees.
He hangs out with a friend's nanny on Monday mornings. He really likes Letty and enjoys playing with the little boy she takes care of. However, the past three mornings have been torturous. Now he understands what is happening before we even knock on the door. He clings to me and screams as soon as I put him down. It's especially heartbreaking when he says "mama" through his tears.
Though I'm not a big fan of this phase, it is nice to feel needed sometimes. Nice until Benny decided to cry for an hour before going to bed - at naptime and at bedtime. Nate and I have marveled at how lucky we are to have a kid who sleeps well and doesn't fight sleep time. That is until this weekend. I'm hoping that this recent development has something to do with the separation anxiety he's experiencing. We are at a loss as to what to do. Do we let him cry it out or help him out? It's a tough call - especially when he's screaming "mama" from the edge of his crib.
2 comments:
Katie and Conor were great sleepers froman early age - Colin was not! Finally at about 18 mos I knew I needed to sleep better, so I had to do something. I found this book on the internet, and it worked! At bedtime and naptime I would put him in his crib and sit in a chair in his room but not talk to him. The first time he cried for about 20 minutes but then fell asleep. Within a couple of weeks he was able to fall asleep without me there. Hope this phase passes quickly!
Thanks, Ann! Luckily this phase seems to be relatively short lived. Benny stopped the screaming after a few days. He's sleeping a little better too. It turns out that he was getting sick and we didn't realize it. If this happens again (and for a prolonged period of time), I'll check back on your advice!
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