The different signs and symptoms of Toddler separation anxiety in children.

There are a large number of parents who gets worried when they notice toddler separation anxiety in their children. This is a condition that generally manifest in babies around 8 to 9 months and it continues till three years of age. Many children tend to cry when their parents leaves them in any unfamiliar environment. It is also a cause of distress for many parents as they feel guilty about spoiling their child or damaging the psychology of their child. But on the contrary there is no need to panic as there is no harm in these behaviors of your toddler. Despite the best nurturing efforts of the parents, there are times when your child may experience distress while separating from you since there exist a deep emotional bond which makes it difficult for your child to stay far away from you. There are some babies who may experience it more than the others and it can be particularly difficult if your baby is hungry, tired or living in an unstable environment. The development stage of this separation anxiety can be a distressing and tough environment for everyone especially for the parents and children. But it is very important for the parents to learn the ways of handling this situation as it has a strong influence on teaching your baby to separate. 

Toddler separation anxiety develops in small children as a natural mechanism for keeping species safe. This is because of the toddler strongly feels the urge to be close to his/her primary caregiver and becomes less likely to stray too far from his/her parents. They also find themselves in dangerous and even life threatening situations and it can also be termed as stranger anxiety. It can also be said that a child equates his/her primary caregiver, mostly a parent with sense of security and this sense becomes threatened when their caregiver or parents is removed from the situation. To small children, their homes are linked to security and they become more cautious in strange environment even in the presence of their parents. This situation becomes very challenging and stressful for both the child and parents and it can cause anxiety, guilt and tension in parents as they are not successful in calming their child. This condition becomes even more predominant when children begins crawling as it allows then the freedom of exploring the environment and in this situation the children get far away from their place of security. In this situation the children thinks whether they will be able to get back to you or not and whether you will come back to your child or not. This is known as separation anxiety in children that prevails until your child learns to feel secure with this new created distance. 

Toddler separation anxiety can leave your childe crying when you leave him/her at a daycare or babysitter but there are other signs of the separation anxiety in children. There are fair chances that your child will cry after your return and this is because he will be reminded of the distress and pain that he felt when you left him. The other signs of this condition include the child becoming particularly shy or quiet in the new environment. There are many children who go into depression, when their primary caregiver leaves for a week. This can also reduce the appetite of the toddler, lead to slower development and cause him to explore less. There are some children who may get more anxious rather than depressed because of the absence of their parents or primary caregiver. The other signs of separation anxiety in children include concern that their parents may get harmed if the child is not near and clinginess to their parents. There are some physical reactions to the children suffering from this condition; it includes nausea, dizziness, headaches and stomachaches. But these symptoms generally subside when the child gets close to his/her parents or if he is made to stay at home. These anxieties related symptoms or behaviors may increase if the child is sick or tired or there have been any major changes in his daily routine or home life. Thus toddler separation anxiety can be referred as a normal stage of development that every child goes through during his/her childhood.