Somebody pass the Hershey bars, for I am in need of some medicinal chocolate for my NERVES. Sophia Diane has decided that this month should mark the beginning of her “separation anxiety” phase. Now she’s always been a “Mommy’s girl” and freaked out on different babysitters a couple of times when she was really little (like when she was 4 months old and Bobby and I tried to go to the symphony for our 7th anniversay and made it through a whole 20 minutes!), but she’s been over that for awhile now.
Until a couple of weeks ago. Now she’s back in full-on “I-must-have-Mommy” mode. She’s flipped out in the church nursery the past two times and they’ve flashed her identification number up on the screen before even the second worship song was complete. Saturday night we went out with some friends (we do this every three weeks) and she cried the WHOLE two-and-a-half hours we were gone. Lucy, one of our trusted babysitters, even gave her a bath (Sophie LOVES the bath) to try and cheer her up and it only worked for about two minutes before she was back to crying. When we got home I nursed her and she sat up after she was finished and chattered and chirped like she was hot stuff. She was happy as a clam, as if the previous hours of wailing and gnashing of gums had never happened.
Friday she fussed at my mom – her beloved Grandma – the whole time when I went shopping for a couple of hours.
Today she wailed like the chief mourner when I put my coat on to go to Bible Study.
Ugh. She cannot do this to me! I have to be able to go out sometimes without torturing babysitters or grandparents!
Seriously, Soph, I am not all that and a bag of chips Gerber puffs. Please crazy girl, give some other folks a chance!
As the mother of her dear cousin linsley….be encouraged -this too will pass!!!! keep going out- she will eventually figure out you are coming back š and then you might even be a little sad when she does as her other cousin Gabbi does and says “goodbye mom” as soon as the babysitter hits the door….
Don’t worry, someday she’ll turn 13 and won’t want anything to do with you. š
It will pass – sooner or later. Then you will be writing that your daughter is so happy when I go out… Good luck!
I feel you. We’ve never used a sitter, so our anxiety phase is so much worse. I just figure I won’t be alone with my husband for at LEAST another year!!! LOL….
Hang in there. In a few months it will get better. When Harry turned one he would not let me out of his sight even to go to the bathroom. By the time he turned two he had done about face and I felt a tiny bit sad that I was not so desired any more.
Good luck! I thought my baby was finally ready to let me go for a few minutes at a time but then she learned the power of “Mama!” When they actually pitifully wail for you by name it’s much harder to disentangle them from your leg! Just a phase, and as Awesome Mom points out, I’m sure I’ll be a little sad when I’m not wanted around the clock.
Hang in there! How old is she? Just wondering how long I have til Lorelei does the same? lol š
PS – Have you tried putting her in front of a mirror? Lorelei doesn’t like seeing herself cry so she’ll usually stop if we put her in front of a mirror. lol. Unless of course she’s too busy screaming bloody murder to even notice…
Oh I have been in those shoes! Not one time, or even two, but three! I am praying my 4th will never go through it!
You will make it through ok, it may be as hard on you as her, while she adjusts.
It will get better but never end completely. My girls are now 18 & 22 and they still have separation anxiety!! or at least that’s what I call it. Everyone else seems to think that I’ve got them spoiled rotten.
Oh yes, this sounds very familiar! Becca was attached to me for months – didn’t even want her daddy… Oddly enough, when they finally get over it, you feel just a bit sad that you’re not #1 anymore… š