I'm not talking to my son as much anymore!

[justlearning]

DS has always been very good at playing by himself while I clean the kitchen or whatever. In the past, I oftentimes would talk to him while I'm working so I feel like he's interacting with me, learning the language (since he's by himself at home with me everyday), etc.

Lately, though, it seems like it's harder for him to be happy playing by himself. If he is in his walker or something and I start talk to him while cleaning the kitchen, he immediately starts crying and puts his arms out for me to come hold him. My guess is that this is the beginning of the separation anxiety stage--do you agree? Did you experience this too with your baby around 7 months? Do you think it's something else?

I hate what's happening now because I find myself not saying anything to him at all while he's playing on his own for fear that he'll remember that I'm in the same room and that he'd rather be in my arms. If I remain quiet, then he seems OK playing by himself.

[amp]

We're at 6.5 mths here and I do the same thing! I love to talk to him, but if I have to do something, I end up pretending I don't really know he's there so he'll forget I'm there too and keep on playing nicely. It does feel kind of weird. He cries even more when my DH leaves the room, so it drives me crazy when he comes home from work, says hi to the baby and then goes off to do something in another room and leaves me to try and "fix" it for Jacob!

[cuca_]

My DD will be 7 mos next week, and I have also started to notice the begining of the separation anxiety stage. I've noticed that she can be playing calmly in her exersaucer and if I leave the room she'll start histerically crying. Sometimes with DH in the same room. Also, she loved playing in her crib, but lately she starts crying pretty quickly after I put her in there.

Maybe someone with an older baby can give us some advice about this stage. I want my DD to be independent, yet I also hate seeing her upset. Is there an effective way to comfort her and help her stay calm playing by herself?

[C99]

You can continue to talk to them without picking them up and eventually, the hysterical screaming will stop. Then again, if Nathaniel is tired or it's late in the day, I cannot walk away from him into another without him crying and crawling after me, so the stage is a long one. I've noticed that the crying, etc., really depends on two things: his level of fatigue and his overall security.