Meeting New People
Here's What To Do
When I meet a new person, watch my expressions to see how I feel about it. Some children will interact quickly with a new person, while others are more cautious and slow to warm up to someone new.
When I'm between 3-6 months, I won't have real stranger anxiety yet. This age is also a good time for me to start with a new childcare provider before I begin to have separation anxiety.
Encourage all family members to help in my daily care activities. Like many babies, I may have a preference for high-pitched female voices over deep male voices. I might be hesitant around men at first, but this preference will fade with experience.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Watch my expressions when I meet a new person.
Engage:
- "This is my friend! Can you say hi to my friend?"
- "You're noticing that there's a new person here. It's your uncle Chris. He's a nice person, let's play with him!"
Encourage:
- Hold me when I interact with a new person. If I let the new person hold me, stay nearby. This helps me feel safe.
- Reassure me by smiling and nodding when I meet a new person. This helps me learn that the new person is okay to interact with.
Reflect:
- Do I seem to like meeting new people?
As your child grows...
Their attitude toward strangers will change. It's common for stranger anxiety to develop between 5-8 months, and for children to become upset when separating from a parent between 6-10 months.