Hellobee Boards

LO is the same way - her first reaction is to scream and cry. THEN she realizes she's being silly and calms down. I think that it's a phase...Or, I HOPE it's a phase! It's so embarassing when a lovely stranger walks over to coo at the baby and LO just freaks out!

I'm sure they will grow out of it. My daughter doesn't cry when strangers say hi to her but she won't necessarily be friendly either. She still hasn't warmed up to her grandpa (DH's dad) and tries to hide behind me when he comes over... which isn't great still, but better than crying/screaming I suppose.

@artbee: To be fair, she doesn't see him often but she doesn't see the other grandparents often either and she warms up to them quickly. I don't know what it is about my FIL that she doesn't like!

LO has just started to do this on occasion (usually when he is tired-ish). He's been in daycare since he was 12 weeks old, and he's constantly getting passed around and cared for by a multitude of friends and family, and he's been great nearly his whole life, but he seems to have just entered a "NO ONE BUT MOMMY" phase. I'm not worried, I think he'll grow out of it.

Also, I've always kind of subscribed to the idea that the best thing you can do for your child is to foster secure attachment, and while some kids are going to be naturally outgoing and others are going to be naturally more introverted and/or shy, making sure your kid has that solid foundation allows him/her to feel as comfortable in new situations as s/he is going to get (whether that's super duper comfortable, or not-that-comfortable-but-still-better-than-what-s/he-would-otherwise-experience). So I guess what I'm saying by that is that, even if YOU are shy, I would think that the fact that you spend so much time with her and make her feel loved and secure and taken care of, would have a far, far, greater positive effect on her than any shyness you're "passed on."
If she was, say 5 years old, and was still really freaked out by otherwise non-threatening strangers (or anyone who isn't you, essentially), then I'd want to see if there were more concerted measures to take to help her with this fear/discomfort, but she's still so little- she may just not have had time to wrap her brain around the fact that she's totally fine and you're always there for her!

If my daughter is sleepy she'll do this. Otherwise she's a little social butterfly. I think it's just her personality because we haven't done anything that I know of to make her that way.

@artbee: I'm really curious to know what the psychology behind stranger anxiety is.. Guess it just depends on the child? We always have friends and family over and would eat out regularly so I think out LO just got used to seeing different people.. so when it came time for S.A. to kick in.. it didn't?
Dunno.