As time goes by and your baby starts growing, you notice that they start recognizing their caretakers. Moreover, you will also witness their fear of strangers around the same time period. No matter what the situation is, your child needs to feel safe and secure. The presence of strangers can make them feel vulnerable.
What is stranger anxiety?
A toddler can easily be diagnosed with stranger anxiety by his guardian or parent, but knowing what exactly the term means is very important. Stranger anxiety is the stress that babies go through when they come in contact with people whom they are unfamiliar with. This also marks a milestone for your child, depicting an enhanced memory and development of recognition. However, the extent of anxiety varies for every child.
How to overcome your baby’s stranger anxiety?
There are several ways that can be incorporated to reduce your child’s stranger anxiety, enabling them to feel more comfortable around a particular person or environment. But, before moving on with the ways to tackle this problem, keep it in mind that stranger anxiety is not a disease. It is a normal phase of growth that every child goes through once in their lives.
• Comfortable environment
Never ignore your children’s anxiety towards strangers, because it makes things worse for them. Be with your children when they meet new people. Hold their hands and make them feel safe. Try different approaches if they aren’t comfortable with the latter. Moreover, you can also take their favorite stuff toys or comfort items with them, when they meet new people.
• Slow and steady
Don’t rush into things and force them to meet new people. Take it slowly and take them out to socialize when they are ready. Furthermore, when you do introduce them to someone new, stay with them throughout the process. Don’t leave their side. Other than that, ask the unfamiliar relatives to not be so frank with your child right away and try to familiarize with each other first. If your child is older, tell them more details about the new person and that they are trustworthy.
• New people
Don’t give up on socializing. Keep introducing your child to new people. Greet them with a positive attitude and show it to your children that they are good people.