{"id":3540,"date":"2023-01-05T14:18:05","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T14:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/?p=3540"},"modified":"2023-01-05T14:18:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T14:18:05","slug":"your-guide-to-overcoming-separation-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/your-guide-to-overcoming-separation-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide to Overcoming Separation Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the new year you may be looking to get over those January blues by going out on a date night, or maybe a girls trip to the sales.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But this may mean leaving baby for the first time which can cause separation anxiety in a lot of new parents, but getting out and leaving baby for the first time is something beneficial for both you and your baby.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby brand, Nuby<\/a>, has pulled together some fantastic advice on how to cope with separation anxiety and make sure that your baby is safe and happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby separation anxiety is a real struggle for many parents. When the moment comes to leave your baby for the first time, your motherly instinct kicks in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould my baby be safe?\u201d, \u201cWhat if something happens, and I\u2019m not there?\u201d, \u201cIs my baby sad right now?\u201d are only some the questions that start spiralling in your head when you close the door and leave your baby behind, even if it\u2019s just for one hour.<\/p>\n

Although your baby is in safe hands, you can\u2019t help but feel like your heart is breaking into tiny pieces, because you don\u2019t know what\u2019s happing with your baby every minute.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, leaving your baby for the first time and getting over the separation anxiety is beneficial for both you and your baby. Baby brand, Nuby, explores how to cope with separation anxiety and make sure that your baby is safe and happy.<\/p>\n

The earlier you overcome it, the better
\nSeparation anxiety is normal and usually affects young children between the ages of six months and three years. It usually fades after that, but if the symptoms persist, it can have a long-term impact on your child.<\/p>\n

The earlier you start practising leaving them, the easier it will be for them to get used to it and overcome any potential separation anxiety.<\/p>\n

As a parent, you also might be suffering from some form of separation anxiety, so it\u2019s important to take the right steps to leaving your baby for the first time.<\/p>\n

Do it gradually
\nYou don\u2019t have to jet off on holiday the first time you leave your baby – this will cause turmoil to both of you.<\/p>\n

Instead, practise being separate gradually. At first, you might dedicate a two-hour slot where you leave them in your house with their grandparents. It\u2019s advisable that the first times you leave them, it\u2019s with someone they know and in a familiar setting to ease the shock of separation. Later, you can start trusting a nanny or a childminder to take care of your baby while you\u2019re away.<\/p>\n

After the first trial, you can slowly start extending the time you\u2019re away from them and even leave them at their grandparents\u2019 and nanny\u2019s house for a night or two. The more often you do it, the easier it will get.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t hold onto the guilt
\nIt\u2019s normal to feel guilty when you first leave your baby. But just like in many other life situations, guilt is not a healthy feeling to experience. Even though it\u2019s totally valid, try not to fall into the trap of self-agonising over the fact that you\u2019ve left your child in the hands of someone else.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s something that you need to overcome, as it will help develop a healthy relationship between the two and not a co-dependent one. You\u2019re teaching your baby to trust you but not rely on you for everything. Retrospectively, you\u2019re learning that your child is its own person and will eventually grow and separate from you for much longer than an hour-long coffee break. So, the earlier you start the process, the better.<\/p>\n

Give clear instructions
\nBabies have their own individual routines. Whether they like to have a snack right before bed to help them nod off or be read their favourite bedtime story, this is what they\u2019re used to.<\/p>\n

Your babysitter\u2019s approach might not match that, so it\u2019s important to communicate your baby\u2019s precise routine with them. This will help your baby settle and will and will ensure that there is no additional unfamiliarity and stress.<\/p>\n

Pack a comforter
\nBefore you leave, pack a bag of newborn essentials that will be at hand for your babysitter, and make sure to include a comforter.<\/p>\n

While their main source of comfort – \u00a0you – might be away, your babysitter can resort to their physical comforts. Perhaps your baby has a specific toy they like to cuddle or play with, or they love being tucked in their cosy sleeping bag for a newborn.<\/p>\n

Prepare these items in advance, so that your baby can feel secure in an unfamiliar situation if needed.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t sneak away
\nEasing your baby into the temporary separation is crucial. This applies to the moment your babysitter arrives and the moment you leave the house.<\/p>\n

Dedicate some time to help your baby get used to their babysitter, whether that\u2019s a childminder, a nanny or their grandparents, while you\u2019re still there.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re leaving, don\u2019t just sneak away. Rather, kiss your baby and say a happy goodbye, after which your babysitter will immediately engage their attention and hopefully stop them from crying.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also advisable that your babysitter picks up the baby right away, so that they feel secure in their hands and build a positive relationship.<\/p>\n

Leaving your baby for the first time can be frightening, but it\u2019s an essential part of the growing up process. Practising healthy separation from early on will ensure your child becomes its own individual and is able to be on its own.<\/p>\n

Sources
\nhttps:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/baby\/babys-development\/behaviour\/separation-anxiety\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the new year you may be looking to get over those January blues by going out on a date night, or maybe a girls trip to the sales.\u00a0 But this may mean leaving baby for the first time which can cause separation anxiety in a lot of new parents, but getting out and leaving […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":5267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"directory-category":[],"event_categories":[],"class_list":["post-3540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-information"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-24 01:03:05","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3540"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3542,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3540\/revisions\/3542"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3540"},{"taxonomy":"directory-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory-category?post=3540"},{"taxonomy":"event_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/mid-surrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_categories?post=3540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}