20 m old seems frightened outdoors

[shelbel]

ds is nearly 20 months. Up until now we've had battles to get him in his buggy as he's wanted to walk everwhere. Now if we're outside he soon wants carrying and it seems to be triggered when he points to the sky and sees a plane or the clouds - its as though he's frightened by it and even if he does walk he wants to be holding my hand which is a real difference from a couple of weeks ago. It started when i took him to a really big playground which i think he found overwhelming but now its whenever we're out. He also seems worried by other things outdoors like cobwebs or mud on the floor and again gets quite clingy. Has anyone any similar experience - is it linked to separation anxiety? Advice please.

[RTKangaMummy]

sorry don't have any advice but willbump it for you

[frannyf]

I think they do start to fear more things at this age. My theory is that it is similar to separation anxiety, in that they are now mobile and could easily wander off and get hurt by something - I think nature makes them more fearful to protect them. If you think about it, when we were all living in the wild, there would have been a lot of predators / harmful creatures around and it makes sense for them to be scared of things on the floor (poisonous spiders / insects) or in the sky (birds of prey, etc.) I think this instinct is strong in them and just a normal part of growing up, until they can distinguish between what is safe and what is dangerous.

My ds is 2.5 but quite scared of any sort of fly around him. He also doesn't like going in the garden by himself in case he hears a police car! (bit young to be scared the fuzz are after him, don't you think?)

I would just let him stay closer to you for a while, explain what the scary looking things are each time and wait for him to grow out of it. Frustrating in the meantime, though! Hope it soon passes.