How long does the "stranger anxiety" phase last?

[redheadbaker]

BabyL was crying for most of his older cousin's birthday party today (technically, they are my cousins, but that's not important). If either I or S.O. was holding him, he was fine (unless the older kids were screaming), but if anybody else took him, he screamed.

[Deleted]

I think it's less of an age thing and more of an exposure to people holding him thing.

So you might want to let random bums hold him until he gets over it lolol

[redheadbaker]

May 12, 2012 22:59:28 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I think it's less of an age thing and more of an exposure to people holding him thing.

So you might want to let random bums hold him until he gets over it lolol

LOL! Gotcha. Thanks!

[agrippa]

Stranger anxiety/separation anxiety peaks at 9 months old and again from 15-18 months old. There's a third set that happens a little after 2 as well.

It actually IS an age thing. :-) For us, encouraging and praising small separations helped. Just handing him (DS had huge issues with this) off to random relatives did not. We let him get comfortable and make the first move. It let him know that it was ok to be nervous and that when he was ready, he could initiate contact with others.

[backinpgh]

I noticed that Emory would get most upset when there were a LOT of people around poking and prodding and ooing and ahhing. If there were two or three people she was fine. But at parties and family gatherings where everyone decides it's a good idea to get all up in her face and shriek, she would inevitably get very upset.

She's better if I make sure she's well rested and very recently fed. Now she doesn't cry at strangers, but she does stare at people for a long time before deciding if she's happy or not.

[redheadbaker]

BabyL got upset at the party with 8+ adults and 4 kids around, but also the next day when just my parents came over for Mother's Day. Both times he had just woken up, and when my parents came over, the dogs barked.

We did notice that if someone else was holding L, and S.O. and I left the room, he was calmer.