Hellobee Boards

I'd love to know how to handle this as well! He's fine playing by himself if I am there, but the moment I walk out (even if his back is turned), he is a man on the move to find me.

Sounds like pretty classic separation anxiety, aka mommyitis.

My first thought: do your kids have a lovey? I've heard that if a toddler has a lovey, that can help with separation anxiety. I don't have experience with that one though...

I've wrestled a lot with anxiety myself, and Charlie has struggled with this at times. I did a bunch of research and a lot of the stuff I've seen recommends various forms of exposure therapy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_therapy

That's where you create a list of things that might create separation anxiety in your child. Then you slowly start to expose your child to the most innocuous things on your list (this list is called a ladder). So like, for example here's a sample list

1. Be in the same room as the baby, but she can't see you for 5 seconds
2. Be in the same room as the baby, but she can't see you for 10 seconds
3. Be in the same room as the baby, but she can't see you for 20 seconds
4. Be right around the corner from the baby, but she can't see you for 10 seconds (you can talk to her though).
...
7. Be in the next room from the baby, but you don't talk to her for 5 seconds.

The idea behind exposure therapy is to try each step on the "ladder" until it no longer generates fear/anxiety. So you might start by being in the same room as the baby, but then you tell your baby you are going to be gone for just a bit, hide for 5 seconds and then soothe the baby to let them know that everything is ok. Then you keep doing that until she's completely ok with it. Then you move onto the next rung of the ladder (maybe that's 10 seconds of hiding).

Another approach is to go straight to completely leaving the room or house. This is called flooding, and a lot of parents use it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding_(psychology)

Flooding is actually pretty similar to "crying it out", in some ways. However, I wouldn't recommend starting with flooding because it feels like there are so many other options to get started with separation anxiety treatment.

GOOD LUCK!!

We don't use a lovey either, I tried but he's not into it.

I guess I have to start like with the sleep training too! More fun times ahead!

My baby is only 3 months and already screams sometimes when I leave the room Not all the time thank goodness.

I didn't believe my hubby the first time he told me that she followed me with her eyes when I left the room and started screaming. I thought she was way too young for that. But sure enough right when I came back she was fine. She's very attached to her mommy and daddy, especially mommy. And she's so young, I'm not looking forward to what happens as she gets older!

Glad I can come here to get some good advice!

Currently my LO won't allow me to be out of his sight when we leave the house. Usually I will sit in the back with him when we go out as a family. When I run errands with him, he hates being back there by himself. He will cry bloody murder, and I often find myself driving back home. Yesterday we walked to the park, and I had to walk right next to the stroller or else he would start crying. It is getting more difficult. Sounds like mommyitis to me. We might need to try exposure therapy if I want to ever leave the house with him and not have a sobbing child to tend to.

@Andrea - Is your interim goal to be able to grab a shower for a few minutes, while she's safely in her swing?

If so, maybe you could put her in her swing and then try going around the corner for a few seconds (while you talk to her).

@Red: Ah sorry if I gave the impression that I advocated sneaking out of the room! The thought to the exposure therapy was to start off by talking to the baby the whole time...