The second half of a baby’s first year is a time of much joy and relief for new parents. The baby becomes more regular in her patterns, she begins to learn how to communicate her needs, and she no longer cries for seemingly no reason. But even though things tend to be relatively smooth in these months, many new issues arise toward the end of the first year. Separation anxiety, which takes the form of tearful fussiness when separated from one or both parents, is the one that parents most often complain of. Though it is a perfectly normal part of a child’s development, it can be frustrating for parents. How separation anxiety develops Younger babies are usually quite comfortable being passed to a nonparent caregiver. During the middle months of the first year, however, babies develop a sense of object permanence, and they come to understand that Continue reading →