Your child might begin to be clingy as he or she begins to grow up and become more aware of the world around him or her. Your child might also start incorporating various personality traits and habits as separation anxiety kicks in. While some kids tilt towards confidence and independence from an early age, others remain clingy, seeking attention, safety, and reassurance from parents and caretakers, most especially their mums.
Having a clingy child may be tolerable at first but in the long run, it can really become exhausting and frustrating to deal with a clingy child. If this is your plight, you may find the suggestions below helpful to help you learn how to manage a clingy child.
Comprehend what you’re dealing with.
You have to understand and see clinginess as a very normal in the development cycle of your child. Yes, most children go through this stage at different times and to varying degrees, and so, is no cause for alarm.
Different developmental stages trigger it for different kids. For some, it is at the stage of learning to walk, when they are toddlers just learning to put words together to communicate; or when they’ve just gone through a big change like starting daycare or crèche.
As some kids get older and comprehend that they are separate from you, as you introduce them to other care-givers and as they start getting introduced to the real world that is not always friendly or safe, they may feel alone and unprotected. This is why your child might resort to clinging to you for reassurance that they’ve got someone on their side through it all.
Get to the Root of the Matter
Consider the reason(s) for your child’s clinginess. Are they any names, circumstances, or certain places that make your child nervous or uncomfortable? Try to pinpoint which issues make your child behave especially anxious, so you can predict when the clinginess will be at its worst and nip it in the bud.
Also, after you have outlined the possible triggers, consider sharing your findings with her nanny, teachers/other caregivers to ensure they adequately manage these situations when you are not around.