Some young ones are rather independent from the start. Others are a bit insecure and clingy.  Resist both the temptation to lose patience with the clingy child as well as the temptation to cater to the clinginess.  Here are a few steps that may help.

•  Make sure your child isn’t clingy because of illness or extra emotional stress. 
• Don’t allow yourself to get angry or feel trapped. The child is not clingy out of spite.
•  If you have to leave the room quickly for a short period, keep chatting to the child to let him or her know you’re still in the vicinity.
•  Don’t simply vanish when the child isn’t looking. One activity that may help in this regard is playing peekaboo games so they learn that, even if they can’t see you, you’re still there.
•  If you need to leave a clingy child with a caregiver, make sure to allow time for the child to feel comfortable with that person before you leave.

 Keep reminding yourself that this is a stage and your child will become more independent as he or she grows a little older. Then many years down the road, the child will not even want you around anymore, and you’ll know they’ve reached adolescence.

Debra Fortosis