Description of Separation Anxiety in Toddlers

Toddlers suffering from separation anxiety get highly upset, when they are separated from caregivers and surroundings that are familiar to them. Just the thought of being separated from their family members causes separation anxiety in toddlers.

The thought of separation triggers feelings of separation anxiety. When the separation happens in reality, the toddlers face a marked suffering and show signs of aggression. The agony that the toddler goes through is continual and occurs at regular intervals. This disturbs the toddler’s ability to participate in normal activities.

Studies

Separation anxiety in kids needs to be studied in a context, i.e., developmental, to find out the difference between normal and abnormal behaviors in toddlers. For example, it is normal for a one-year-old baby to show some signs of agitation, when separated from the parents or caregivers. Toddlers, who are new to day care also experience severe agonizing moments, which are quite normal.

Such feelings of anxiety are temporary and gradually decrease with time, as toddlers are adjusted to their new environments. It is abnormal for toddlers to have these anxiety reactions persisting for more than a week.

Common Symptoms of Separation Anxiety in Toddlers:

Toddlers with separation anxiety, who are forced to leave their parents or caregivers, may show signs of anger and aggression. They generally get preoccupied with the thought of reuniting with their caregivers.

Toddlers who have begun speaking may insist on the whereabouts of their caregivers and may want to be in touch with them during the tenure of separation. They could also develop fears about accidents or sicknesses that could happen to them or their caregivers after separation.

Other Symptoms of Separation Anxiety in Toddlers are

• Toddlers may fear of caregivers leaving them alone, even when they are present with them. 
• Refusal to go to places that will cause separation from caregivers such as day care schools
• Feeling of panic at the concept of doing things alone without any supervision
• A tendency to stick closely to their caregivers through the entire day sacrificing other playful activities
• Toddlers also have problems at bedtime. They would want their caregivers to stay with them until they fall asleep
• Frequent cycles of nightmares
  

Physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, and nausea are common when toddlers are separated from their caregivers.

These physical symptoms might represent a somatization of general anxiety sensations.

Major factors that trigger Separation Anxiety in Toddlers are

• An inherited tendency to develop anxiety from their parents, which is a personality trait called neuroticism.

• Neuroticism is a temperamental factor made worse by highly stressful events such as child abuse, loss of parents, a family member’s or relative’s death, shifting residence, or being institutionalized into an orphanage or foster care.

Neurotic tendencies caused by stressful events are a major factor in the formation of separation anxiety in toddlers. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful in fostering a toddler to prevent the onset of separation anxiety.

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