Stranger anxiety
Encyclopedia
Stranger anxiety is a form of distress
that children experience when exposed to people unfamiliar to them. Symptoms may include: getting quiet and staring at the stranger, verbally protesting by cries or other vocalizations, and hiding behind a parent. Stranger anxiety is a typical part of the developmental sequence
that most children experience. It peaks from 6 to 12 months.
Stranger anxiety is a common characteristic in young children. Children develop such strong bonds to their primary caregivers, that they are likely to feel uneasy around someone who has an unfamiliar face. There are many positive strategies that a child's caregiver can undertake to help manage their child's anxiety. A popular coping method is to address the issue to the stranger ahead of time, so they can come prepared with perhaps a toy to assure the child that there really is not anything to be afraid of. Another simple, yet successful strategy to deal with stranger anxiety is for the parent to relax when they are around people that may be unfamiliar to the child, because children are in-tune with their caregiver's body language, they are likely to pick up their guardians' friendly attitudes.
Distress (medicine)
In medicine, distress is an aversive state in which an animal is unable to adapt completely to stressors and their resulting stress and shows maladaptive behaviors...
that children experience when exposed to people unfamiliar to them. Symptoms may include: getting quiet and staring at the stranger, verbally protesting by cries or other vocalizations, and hiding behind a parent. Stranger anxiety is a typical part of the developmental sequence
Child development stages
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
that most children experience. It peaks from 6 to 12 months.
Stranger anxiety is a common characteristic in young children. Children develop such strong bonds to their primary caregivers, that they are likely to feel uneasy around someone who has an unfamiliar face. There are many positive strategies that a child's caregiver can undertake to help manage their child's anxiety. A popular coping method is to address the issue to the stranger ahead of time, so they can come prepared with perhaps a toy to assure the child that there really is not anything to be afraid of. Another simple, yet successful strategy to deal with stranger anxiety is for the parent to relax when they are around people that may be unfamiliar to the child, because children are in-tune with their caregiver's body language, they are likely to pick up their guardians' friendly attitudes.
External links
- Stranger anxiety at American Academy of PediatricsAmerican Academy of PediatricsThe American Academy of Pediatrics is the major professional association of pediatricians in the United States. The AAP was founded in 1930 by 35 pediatricians to address pediatric healthcare standards. It currently has 60,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas...
- Stranger anxiety at Arkansas Center for Effective Parenting
- Separation Anxiety in Young Children