How to Deal With Stranger Anxiety in Babies

Your baby has always been the friendliest little guy on the block, but now he cowers when others approach -- even grandma. This is a normal, natural phase known as stranger anxiety, although it's not just strangers who get the rebuff. Basically anyone but you, and maybe dad, will make him nervous. This phase can begin as early as 4 months of age but often it peaks around 7 or 8 months and can last until age 1. Stranger anxiety is a sign of healthy emotional maturity, in that your baby is showing a preference for his primary caregiver because he knows nobody else can take care of him like you do. You can't solve stranger anxiety, but you can keep your baby's anxiety to a minimum until the phase ends.

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare friends and family before a visit. Let them know your child is going through the stranger anxiety phase, which will soon pass. Caution them not to take his snubs personally.

    • 2

      Tell others to test the water before acting like old friends. They should approach your baby quietly and gradually, preferably while you are holding your baby to make him feel more secure. Ask that while your baby is in this phase of his development, they play calm, nonphysical games like peekaboo as opposed to tickling or kissing him.

    • 3

      Ease the transition if you're planning on leaving your baby with a new person. According to WebMD, that might mean paying the babysitter to come half an hour early so that your baby can used to the sitter while you're still home, or it might mean sitting in on your child's first days in a new playgroup or daycare.

    • 4

      Give your child plenty of experience interacting with new faces. Take your baby to the park, the playground, the zoo, or any other public area, and talk freely with the other people there, recommends the Office of Child Development at University of Pittsburgh. In time, being exposed to plenty of unfamiliar people while he remains safely in your care can help ease his stranger anxiety.

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