Separation Anxiety
What is separation anxiety? Separation anxiety is a typical and normal concern that children have when they are separated from their parents or caregivers. Separation protest refers to the behavior that occurs when children are separated from their parents. Many children skip separation anxiety in infancy and begin exhibiting difficulties at 15 or 18 months of age. Separations are more challenging when children are hungry, exhausted, or sick, which is the majority of the time during toddlerhood! As they gain independence in childhood, children may become more sensitive to separations. Separation anxiety disorder in children Separation anxiety becomes less common when children reach preschool and school age. Of course, there will be times when they just want to be with you. If your preschool- or school-age child is frequently and visibly disturbed when away from you, he may have a separation anxiety disorder . This disorder affects about 4% of preschoolers and 4% of school-age ch...