Separation Anxiety Timeline
What is typical at what age, when it usually eases, and what makes it worth asking someone about — described, never scored.
Separation distress appears in most children between six and twelve months, peaks for many between one and two, and eases through the preschool years — and predictability at handover helps more consistently than reassurance does.
Separation Anxiety Timeline
Frequently asked
Is separation anxiety normal?
Yes. It emerges as a normal part of attachment and cognitive development, typically appearing between six and twelve months. Its presence is a sign of a formed attachment rather than a problem.
Should I sneak away to avoid the tears?
Guidance is generally against it. Leaving without saying goodbye removes the predictability the child is learning to rely on, and often makes the next separation harder even though the immediate exit is quieter.
When is it worth asking a professional?
When it significantly limits ordinary life — school, sleep, friendships — for more than about a month, when it is worsening rather than easing, or when it appears suddenly with nothing to explain it. A GP or school counsellor is the right first conversation.
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