Mom’s Question:
My baby screams loudly every time some stranger looks at him, even family members. Is there something wrong with my baby? It doesn’t seem normal to be so scared so easily.
Easy Baby Life:
Stranger Anxiety In Babies
Please be calm. Your baby is normal and showing signs of mental development above all. You don’t mention the age of your baby, but at some point between 4 and 10 months, most babies go through a period of stranger anxiety.
With some babies you hardly notice this phase, but with others, they literally start crying at all new faces or even voices. Or at least some faces or voices. It can vary with different people and as an adult it can be completely impossible to understand why one person is scary and another one isnt’t.
The thing is, you baby is really starting to understand the difference between closest family and others and between mom and others. And what the baby defines as “family” may not at all coincide with your definition.
So while it can be stressful as a parent, your baby’s behaviour is completely normal.
What he needs during this phase, is to be with the people he loves the most. Be gentle with him, cuddle him often and try not to expose him too much to the stress of meeting many other people. Also, do not try to train him by asking strangers to hold him and say no to anyone who wants him if you believe it will make him uncomfortable. For grandparents, dad or someone else, who is close, but right now scary, you can try to let baby interact with this person while in your arms, so that he can get used to that person’s looks, voice or smells while in a safe place (according to your son).
This is a development stage, and the more his needs of safety and reassurance are met, the faster he will get over it.
So you see, his behavior is actually a good thing; he is becoming a big(ger) boy.
Take care,
Paula
More Babies With Stranger Anxiety
- 5-Month-Old Baby Sensitive To Strangers And Sounds
- 7 Month Baby Cries When Seeing New Faces
- 3 Months Old Cries When Strangers Hold Him
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing is based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians that you find here. They write or review all health-related articles.
