Son clings to childminder

Your questions answered by Jeni Hooper of Greatvine.com

My son is very clingy with his childminder in social situations but seems fine at home- is there anything we can do to help?

Children often need a little time to get used to a new social situation. Staying close to the adult is a good observation point. Most children will need time to watch before they feel confident to go off and explore. Often children will go off for a short while and then return for contact and reassurance before moving off again. Look out for any situations where he is reluctant to leave her side at all. This is a sign that there is too much going on for him to feel relaxed. Are there too many people? Is the room too large or too noisy?

He will benefit from slow but steady social exposure both when he is with her and from going places with the family. Choose social situations which suit him and take things slowly. Make sure he can always see you and make a big fuss of him when he comes back to you to touch base. Show an interest in what he is doing when he comes over but let him pace himself. He will gradually feel more secure and confident if his experiences are carefully chosen to suit him

Jeni Hooper

Jeni Hooper is a chartered psychologist and parent coach with a Master’s degree in educational psychology. Jeni specialises in family coaching, offering parents practical techniques to help them bond with their children, adjust to the different stages of childhood and overcome difficult behaviour. For individual advice you can trust, book a private phone call with Jeni at www.greatvine.com/jeni_hooper