Why is she terrified to be alone in the room?

[Anonymous]

I’m kicking myself in the rear for trying the CIO method. I don’t know if it had something to do with it but Ariella’s absolutely terrified to be alone in a room. And I do mean ANY room. If I leave the living room, kitchen, etc, she starts crying but in such a way as if she’s very afraid. If I leave her in a crib and step out the bedroom for a second, she screams HYSTERICALLY!! For a few nights now she wakes up, crawls to the corner of her crib, sits there and cries. As I approach the crib, I shush and calm her down, she lies back down all by herself. As long as my hand is there patting her back, she falls back asleep. I’m ready to cry. Did I do so much damage???

[Anonymous]

I seem to remember that happening when Kayleigh was about that age also. I didn’t do the CIO method so I can’t help you with thinking that may be the cause sorry. I will say it sounds very similair to what I experienced though. She would howl if I left her sight I think it is a stage they go through. It seems to coincide with stranger anxiety age doesn’t it? Sorry couldn’t be of more help. Hope it gets better soon.

[Anonymous]

Alana is going through the crying if I leave the room stage. Some nights she needs me to rub her back to sleep, sometimes she doesn’t. I think it is just that, a stage. . It might just be coincidental that it was around the time you tried the CIO. Don’t beat yourself up. Just do what you are doing and she (and you will get through it). She knows mummy loves her.

[Anonymous]

Kaelyn and Alex both went through this at that age. With Kaelyn, it was before we ever tried CIO and with Alex it was long after we’d started, so it’s probably not tied to that.

[Anonymous]

Whew, thank you for putting my mind at ease. I was feeling so guilty for putting her through CIO that I didn’t know what to do anymore.

[Anonymous]

Dagney seems to be going through a little bit of this too, it’s the whole separation anxiety phase I think. Sometimes she’s ok, but sometimes if I leave the room she starts to cry and comes crawling after me. I did do CIO, but normally at bedtime she doesn’t cry at all, and at naptime she may wimper a little then quiet down. What I have noticed is at the afternoon nap if she didn’t sleep well in the morning, or if I’m putting her down later than usual, or if daddy’s home and she’d miss out on something, she does seem to put up a bit more of a fight.

[hellbennt]

seperation anxiety- comes & goes from about 8 or 9 months to about 18 months…what i did w/ jonah is to make up a sign that means ‘RIGHT BACK’ and then when I really would be RIGHT BACK, I did the sign as I said “RIGHT BACK! Mama’s coming RIGHT BACK!” then I’d dash off to pee or whatever & then when I came back I did the sign again & said “See? Mama’s RIGHT BACK!”

I used my two pointer fingers and tapped one on top of the other, like an x. This was made up & passed along to me from my sister, lol. It really worked with Jonah.

With Ari, I mostly just let him follow me like a dog when I have to leave the room…I AM starting to do the whole sign/say RIGHT BACK with him now, too, though…

[Anonymous]

I’ll try to make up a sign for that. I usually scream from the bathroom or wherever I am “Ariella, I’m here, I’m here, mommy’s here”. I must sound like I’m losing it but even that doesn’t work for her sometimes.

[Author]

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