Is your child too clingy? How to acknowledge and help them

It’s normal for children to crave attention from their parents. They like to spend a lot of time with them in early childhood but as they grow older, a natural longing for independence kicks in.

For some kids that transition isn’t an easy process. Being separated from their parents triggers a lot of anxiety in them.

Not always an easy thing to handle, it is quite manageable and with the proper steps you will be able to help them ease into real life.

Before getting down on how you can be of help to your child, it is important to understand the signs.

Some of the signs of separation anxiety to look out for include, but are not limited to:

If your child throws tantrums when you leave them alone even for a couple of minutes to dash next door, there is a problem.

Unlike other kids who will be enjoying themselves playing outside, clingy kids will constantly want to hold your hand, sit on your lap and be physically close to you most of the time.

If your child is fully dependent on your opinion or approval even in the most trivial scenarios, they’re clingy.

That separation anxiety might cause them to have trouble sleeping at night.

When clingy behavior isn’t dealt with early, it could lead to serious problems in future. They might develop an unhealthy dependency on other people, confidence issues and severe anxiety problems.

There comes a time when every parent needs some alone time so it’s okay to acknowledge that they’re a little too clingy. The good thing is you can always help them be more independent by:

i.Find what their specific triggers are

Take some time to observe your child more. This will help you notice the trends and patterns in their behavior.

Are they only clingy when you’re leaving for work, when they’re around certain people, or do they get more anxious when interacting with other kids? Once you take note of the triggers, you can figure out what area to work on.

ii.Let them go through the phase

Your child might just be going through a phase. They haven’t developed that sense of independence so you might have to wait it out for a while.

Many parents actually miss that clingy stage when their kids grow older. So just let them go through that phase and with time, they’ll outgrow it.

iii.Talk to them about your concerns

Your child needs that extra reassurance for them to feel comfortable. Let them know that you’re a little concerned especially if they’re at that age where they should be more independent.

Spare some time for that one-on-one conversation with them because a parent’s reassurance has the power to change everything.

iv.Help them build confidence gradually

Encourage more independent behavior in your child. If you notice that you’ve been babying them too much, reduce on that. It could be part of the reason why they are clingy.

Let them handle simple tasks at home so that they feel more confident in themselves and encourage them to interact with their peers.

It’s within those groups where they realize everything will be fine even when they’re away from you for a while.

v.Take them for therapy

In some cases, that separation anxiety is trigged by traumatic events in their lives. It might be the death of someone close to them, abuse, divorce and other situations that may have made them feel unsafe.

A therapist will help them deal with those difficult feelings of anxiety and fear.