Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety: When should you worry?

Jackeline Gurdian, MS, OTR/L

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has suffered with this. I sometimes find myself apologizing for my daughter when she doesn’t want to be with anyone but mom or dad. (in my case mostly dad L). The more and more I talk about this with other parents, the more I realize that this is a problem that we are all dealing with.

So….Is it normal?

YES! Children often deal with separation by showing their true colors (crying, tantrums, etc.). This is a normal developmental stage in your child’s life. This anxiety will usually begin between 8-14 months; they often start to fear new people or new places. At this stage, children have a hard time understanding time and might feel like you will never come back. Usually around 2 years of age, most children outgrow this stage. Please note that it’s ok if at times your child demonstrates separation anxiety during periods of stress.

What can you do?

Social Skills

Does your child need help with social skills?

by Jackeline Gurdian, MS, OTR/L

It is key for a child to have positive relationships with peers to allow for maximal success in life. Academic skills are very important of course but without appropriate social skills, success is limited.

Social skills begin at birth but we often start to see and hear parents complain about delays when the child begins school.

Here are some examples of social skills that school aged children (4-5 years of age) should have:

·         Play group games appropriately (plays fair, takes turns, etc.)

·         Make close friends

·         Win or lose gracefully

·         Shows interest in others

·         Able to interact nonverbally (smiling, nodding, etc.)

·         Initiate and maintain conversations

·         Able to empathize with peers

·         Participate in pretend play

·         Able to stay on task for at least 5 minutes

·         Establish good eye contact with peers

Children learn from imitation and practice, so it is important to always show appropriate behaviors for your child to follow. For some children, social skills come naturally and others need a little help. If you feel your child needs a little or even a lot of help, please do not hesitate to contact us speakeatplay@gmail.com and we would be more than happy to find a social skills group that fits your child’s needs.

 

 

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