Could Be Insecurity?

My son did this from the time he was able to walk until around 4 1/2. He is 5 now and much better. He still likes to know where I am at, but as long as I tell him where I am going, he usually is fine. It is frustrating, but I can actually remember being this way when I was little. I actually use to cry when my parents went up to communion at church and I couldn't see them:-) I do think it is important to talk to them about it and let them express why they are afraid. My son said that he was afraid Monsters were going to get him if I left the room. My husband use to take him all over the house and scare the monsters away from all the closets and under the beds. Not sure if that helped, but it was sure fun for the both of them!! Anyway, I think it is just fear and just keep talking about it. It will get better, I promise.

I can imagine your frustration! Though we love our kids, they can be trying.
Since I'm a big fan of teaching parents to build their kids emotional intelligence to solve problems, I'd suggest you try to find out what your daughter is thinking. Ask her why she wants to know. Ask her what she is feeling inside. Kids this age cannot always articulate what they are feeling and she wont necessarily answer accurately the first time so she will need your help and patience. THis might help you to determine if she is fearful or insecure or even just lonely. Once you know, you can put a plan in place to help her overcome it and hopefully stop the 50 daily questions!
Good luck!

Totally normal and she will grow out of it. In the meantime, you could make a little chart with the different rooms of your house. Take a picture of yourself and velcro it on the room you will be in. When she calls your name, remind her to "check the chart" and don't give her a specific answer. In a relatively short time, she will use that reminder more often than yelling and it will also help her learn some independence. You could make picture cards for other members of your family too!

This brings back memories!! My brother (when were little) used to do this to my mom ALL the time! Her drove her crazy as well! He did grow out of it though. My mom started calling out "Aaron,,,Aaron??" When he'd answer she'd say "just wanted to know where you at". She'd wait until he was watching cartoons or playing, something he didn't want to be interrupted doing. Not sure if it helped HIM or not but I think it helped my mom! Pretty sure they will grow out of it! Good Luck, thanks for the smile!

My son was very attached too, and I understand your frustration. He was like this when he was 6, 7 and 8 and he was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, which eventually went away with therapy and us moving to a new home (not because of him, of course).
That said, from what I remember the behavior you described is very normal for a 4 year old, and the therapists wouldn't work with kids that age.
Reassuring your child is the most important thing you can do, but you can also try to challenge her a bit, like saying that you will be upstairs for 5 minutes, and you don't want her to call for you and or follow you, and after the 5 minutes she'll receive a "prize", which could be anything, not only material things (like reading her a favorite story). You have to be careful with the time, and 1 minute may be more than she can handle in the beginning. Just slowly increase it. And offer lots of praise afterwards! They also told us not to use any "crutches" like letting him watch TV.
Good luck!

Hey H.,

I scanned the other responses, and I hope she out grows it. Just a little caution, if it continues, and begins to affect her quality of life (like she can't attend something she really wants to because you won't be there-or going to school without you becomes a problem beyond typical missing you) then you might conisder that her anxiety is beyond what she can control herself.

While it appears that the vast majority of kids in this thread get better, mine did not, and medication was her answer. It was far worse than what you describe by the time we picked that option, but given how well it worked, I could kick myself for letting her suffer as long as I did. You certainly are not there yet, unless there are things that she cannot do (things she really wants to do) that she can't do because of her anxiety. Just be aware, if it does not just go away, the treatment is very effective and kind of miraculous.

M.

IHi H....

I don't know what to tell you other than this is going on at our home same age and sex, and it is driving me batty as well...then once I get her to come to the laundry and join me, I am hi with a barage of "look mommy, watch me mommy, look it, look it, look it". And that's if I can coerce her out of whereever it is she's calling me from...if I have to go to her, by thistime she's usually crying because she says "I didn't know where you werexplaining have tried to explain that she can come find me and not to just sit and scream for me because sometimes I cannot hear her, andthat all she has to do is, come and find me when she wants me.

So, H., if you ever do find out what to do about this, please send me a note, I'll definately keep an eye out on your post for any advice you may get!!!

Good luck,
Ali :)