5learning January/February 2009
EARLY YEARSwww.cumberland-news.co.uk/learning
for a full archive of pre-school articles
EMMA MCCORMICKManager, Little Luvs nursery, Carlisle
LITTLE LEARNERS
Separation anxiety can cause tantrums
and clinginess � and that's just the parent!
R
eturning to work earlier than
planned caused my baby and me
some anxiety; we perhaps weren't
as prepared as we could have been.
To be apart is stressful and worrying,
bringing feelings of utter despair.
Often the clingy stage is viewed as a
nuisance; instead, babies should be seen
as confident and sociable. A stranger in
the street smiles and coos at the baby, in
return they get a screech and baby
begins to wail.
Babies as young as six months old can
show signs of separation anxiety; often it
recurs at 18 months. They might cry
when a parent leaves the room and
become very clingy.
For most babies this is a normal stage
of development but for some, separation
anxiety goes on longer, causing much
frustration and stress.
It is most likely to happen when a
child is handed over to a carer, an
actually being parted from the parent;
refusal to go to school; difficult
behaviour; physical illness or claiming
to be ill and making themselves
physically sick.
How to help:
practise leaving your baby for short
periods of time before the `big day';
introduce them to new surroundings
beforehand;
bring a favourite toy, or item of
clothing smelling of you for comfort;
don't drag out the leaving, hang back
or return once the goodbye has occurred;
don't sneak off when they're
distracted as this can be more unsettling.
If the anxiety has just started it may be
linked to events at home such as a new
sibling. Play games such as peek-a-boo
and hide and seek. Make them fun and
reassuring.
If your child is at pre-school or school
and the behaviour goes on for weeks
without ease, chat to your health visitor.
If the problems carry on for a long time
you may need to check that your child is
happy there. Very occasionally, it can be
a sign this isn't the right environment
for them.
Most parents cope with this difficult
stage. However, some have more serious
problems because the child displays
severe, prolonged distress such as
crying, screaming for their parent,
running after them, clinging as if they
were being abandoned forever. Some will
scream, throw tantrums and be
physically sick, making it impossible to
leave them.
In this case the parent may choose not
to send the child to nursery or school to
avoid the separation anxiety. It is
important to seek support in this case.
Remember, it's normal.
Although extremely hard for parent
and baby, it's just one of the less
enjoyable bits of being a parent. Nine
times out of ten, a few minutes after you
close the door on your sobbing child, they
will be happily playing. People who work
with children are used to this. They
should support and reassure you and are
usually very good at distraction methods.
`The baby's distress is
because it thinks you are
leaving them for ever'
individual or nursery. There are various
theories about why separation anxiety
occurs, but think about this: in the
sixteenth century all adults believed that
if a ship sailed out of sight it would fall
of the edge of the earth and be gone
forever.
A baby has to learn that a world exists
outside of what it can see at a given
moment. The tear-stained face and heart-
wrenching screams show baby's distress
at thinking they are losing you for ever.
If your reaction to your baby's anxiety
is more anxiety of your own, you are
giving out a message that this is a
dangerous situation. Though not easy at
times, do your best to be calm and
reassuring for your baby.
Children (and some parents) with
separation anxiety can show a range of
behaviours: refusal to sleep or be alone;
clinginess; tantrums at the thought of or
Blackwell Road, Carlisle, CA2 4AB
Telephone: 01228 402102
Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm 51 weeks per year
High Quality Care and Education
for children 3 months to 8 years,
including Pre-School Education
and Holiday Club
Qualified and Dedicated Staff,
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Extensive secure gardens
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Healthy meals cooked on site
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Local Authority five star rating.
N.D.N.A. Member
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Wendy House
Nursery
OFSTED registered to receive Nursery Grant.
Etterby Scaur, Carlisle
For more information please contact the Admissions Office
on 01228 550219 or admissions@austinfriars.cumbria.sch.uk
For 3/4 year olds
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Nurturing children's natural curiosity
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The Nursery
Secure outside play area
Freshly cooked lunches
Specialist teaching in
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�
�
�`where all are equally valued and pupils feel safe and happy' - Ofsted 2007
Headteacher Mrs A. Evans telephone: 01228 607517
School Road Harraby, Carlisle, CA1 3LX
www.inglewood-inf.cumbria.sch.uk
Email: admin@inglewood-inf.cumbria.sch.uk
� Caring and experienced staff
� Stimulating learning environment both indoors and outdoors
� Chimps Playgroup from 2 years 3 months
� Parent and toddler group
� Ali's AfterSchool and Breakfast Club from 3 years
NEW NURSERY BUILDING - NOW OPEN!
professional development and skills in
the childcare sector.
Vicky said: "The vision is that every
setting will have at least one person who
will have achieved the EYPS
qualification.
"This is a huge thing but in areas of
poverty there could be difficulties.
Nurseries will have to pay for a EYPS
practitioner who will have a degree. It
will put added pressure on nurseries
from the business point of view.
"At the moment there are government
subsidies to help pay for things like
training but it is unclear how things will
be paid after the initial few years.
"Also a lot of our members are very
experienced practitioners who have
worked for many years. Some of them
would wonder why they would have to go
back to university to do something when
they are a lot further on in their
careers."
She added: "The Government is very
keen on the EYPS and 2015 is not that far
away; settings are having to think about
that already. It is positive, the EYPS, and
many of our members are already
addressing the need to have a practit-
ioner qualified to the new level but more
general awareness needs to be raised."
Vicky and co-chair Sarah have both
recently completed their EYPS
qualifications at Lancaster University.
"It is great that both Sarah and I have
been through a programme and know
about the EYPS. We can talk about our
experiences with our fellow members.
"I've really enjoyed it, it has been a
really good thing for my own personal
development. I've had Stepping Stones
for five years and now I'm exploring
whether there is now something else I
can do at college.
"Training is a huge issue and all our
staff regularly update their knowledge.
We're really lucky in Cumbria where we
all get a lot of free training through
children's services."
`The EYPS rule will be an
added burden from the
business point of view'
Up for grabs: Nursery practitioner Emma-Kay Barton with two-year-old
Harry Cartwright-Smith. By 2015 every nursery must have at least one
practitioner who has achieved graduate-level Early Years Professional Status
Colour-matching: Phoebe Walker, two
enjoys some painting with the help of
room superviser Olive Inglis

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