26 MONTH OLD DD TOUCHY/SPIRITED - ? SEPARATION ANXIETY
Hi all, am really hoping some of you with older touchy kids can help me out here. Baby Whisperer Forum was a life saver when DD was a baby, kept me sane knowing I was not alone! However as she got older, I found I had less need to visit the forums. My daughter is first and foremost a touchy child but once comfortable with her surroundings and company, fits more into the spirited type. However over the past few weeks she has changed and I want advice as to whether you guys think it is some form of separation anxiety.
DD has started making a slight fuss when dropping her off at nursery where she has been going since she was 9 months. She loves it there and begged to go recently when she was ill so I know once I go she still enjoys it. She has become ultra-clingy even at home which is so unlike her as like I said, she acts more like a spirited child when content. If I leave the room for a couple of minutes she shouts "Mummy where are you?" and if I don't reply or she can't find me straight away, she gets distressed and starts to panic. She is also asking to be held all the time "Up,up".
Worse than all of these is the problems with sleep. We have always had problems since she was born but she has been great for ages now. We have to sit in her room till she falls asleep (this is amazing compared to what she was like!), usually about 20 mins. She sleeps through the night UNLESS she has anything whatsoever bothering her (eg. cold, teething etc..) then she always wakens. When she used to just lie until she fell asleep, she is now bobbing up and down checking we are still there. Tonight it took over an hour for her to fall asleep and she must have got up and down about 20 times. Also she is wakening every night and just to get some sleep, we end up with her in the bed where she is still a bit restless and clings to me.
The reason I have put this on this thread and not night wakening is I need the understanding of parents with touchy kids. If I leave her to cry etc I will only distress her more as if this is separation anxiety then I need to be there for her. It may sound unbelievable but whenever she has been ill or teething in the past and we have taken her into our bed, as soon as she has improved she sleeps through the night again. She never caused a fuss about going into her own bed.
I guess after thinking I had her "sussed" I am taking bad with this and not sure how long it is likely to last. Any help will be most appreciated. Thanks!
Nikki