My 7 Month Daughter Screams and Cries at People She Hasn't Been Around Alot

Updated on February 01, 2007
A.D. asks from Blue Springs, MO
16 answers

My 7 month old daughter screams and cries around people that she hasn't been around a whole lot. I am not sure what to do or why she is acting like this. She doesn't do it to her brothers or my husband or I.

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone that gave me their advice. I will try all of your ideas but it seems like it is pretty normal from everything that i have read. I really appreciate all of the ideas.
Thanks again!!!

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C.A.

answers from Wichita on

Do the people she screams at wear glasses? I found that even though I wore glasses occasionally or sunglasses my youngest daughter was ok with it, but if anyone else was wearing any kind of "eye wear" she would freak out...She still does this occasionally, but rarely now and she is 2! If the people are wearing glasses you may be able to ask them to remove them, but who knows...It could be different smells too...

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A.M.

answers from Tulsa on

All I can say is to get her around new people more often. My son did that, my daughter did not. by the time my daughter came around, my son was just a year old, and I had a lot to do with him and work etc., we were very active and not as scared to get out with a baby, so she was used to be handled by a variety of people. Shopping, groups, whatever, she'll get used to it quick. Hope this helps.

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M.L.

answers from Rockford on

She's afraid of strangers. My lil guy used to be like that too when he was that age. They'll grow out of it.

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T.L.

answers from Oklahoma City on

IF your child is having apprehension toward unfamiliar people, try sitting next to the person with your child on your lap.. and do not try and force the baby to interact with that person... just carry on as if the child did not have the oversion. With you sitting in close proximity of the person (touching would be preferable) your child will eventually come to realize the person is not a threat, and may feel more comfortable having the person near.

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N.H.

answers from St. Louis on

I think the reason your daughter screams and cries when she's around people she doesn't know very well is just that, she doesn't know them. She's used to being around you and the rest of her siblings and dad. The only way to fix the problem is get her around others. Let them feed her if she is on a bottle. They say that others feeding her will help her learn to trust others. Just give it some time. I know my oldest never acted like that but it's only because ever since the first day he was born he's been passed around to everyone! Don't worry though lots of babies go through it just get her around others more and the problem should go away.

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R.R.

answers from Oklahoma City on

as a mother of a three year old a two year old and a one year old I know where you are coming from the thing is that you have to show you daughter that they are friends and not to be afraid of them and if she still is give her a kind of time out where the both of you go in to a quite room and you calm her down she will get over it in time

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

this is totally normal...my son is 9 months old and does the same thing..what i do is i hold him and let the person play with him and talk to him. then i let them sit down and play together while i sit back a little. then he just starts to enjoy them. also if it's someone you konw you will see alot and live far away..give your daughter a picture and tell her who the person is and let her see them..do this over and over again..it's works...when i am playing with my son i will take out pictures of my mom and dad and show them to him. when they come to visit he doesn't cry..let me know how it goes

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H.P.

answers from Oklahoma City on

it is probably just stranger anxiety. it's a phase and she will eventually get through it. take heart it will pass.

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H.B.

answers from Joplin on

I think this is very normal, my youngest son and both my daughters were the same way. I dont know if you are a stay at home mom or not but i am and so my children weren't exposed to a lot of other people, in fact when my son started pre-school i had to leave him crying everyday for two weeks until he got use to it, heartbreaking for me but he ended up loving it and although he is still a shy child(8 now) he did come out of his shell. My older daughter was this way to she is almost two now and is just the opposite she makes friends with everybody, not always a good thing either. My 7 month old daughter is this same way now she is very much a mommys girl and only wants me she pretty much cries when anybody else tries to hold her or if i try to put her down, kind of demending on me right now but as you know they grow so fast i try to look at her attachment as a blessing. But she cries when we are at the store and people try to talk to her, i just shrug it off and tell people she has stranger anxiety right now. I think its just the age they are becoming more aware of their surroundings at this age and people they dont know can be overwhelming. Just give her time and lots of reasurance when she is around new people, sometimes babies get bored with the same faces after awhile and a new face is a welcome change.

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J.L.

answers from St. Louis on

Some children are just more sensitive than others. My oldest son is introverted, like me, and just takes longer to warm up, not only to new people, but even with family members or friends that he's not around often. I do think that it is good to push him a little to open up but sometimes he's just not up for it. I don't have anymore advice just to let you know that all children, like adults, are different in every way imaginable including personality.

J.

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A.H.

answers from Springfield on

My 17 month old does this. He's afraid that we're going to leave him with these "strange" people. He generally warms up, though, in five to ten minutes. We just figure its a combo of stranger/separation anxiety.

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G.N.

answers from St. Louis on

My son was the same way, he will be 1 tomorrow and he is just now starting to get used to being around people, you just need to get her out maybe take her to playdates so she sees other kids and mommies. My son would only be OK around me and his daddy, I would just go in elevators and ppl would say hi to him he would start crying, I think it started around the same age as your daughter. I joined a mommy group and gone to playdates and we walk the mall every morning I met one of the other moms from the mommy group and we go walking all the time, he is just now getting used to her and we see her everyday, he is getting used to being around other kids.

The playgroups I think helped him come out of his shell.

Hope that helps

G.

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T.A.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter did this too! Her dr. said it was normal. Now she's two and occassionally does it to people (including her grandparents) until she warms up to them.

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

This is a sign of healthy, normal development. About this age, children can start to tell faces and people apart. Up till now, except for mom and maybe dad, a face was a face. Don't force her to go to others immediately, let her look at them over your shoulder or from your lap for a while. And in order to keep anyone from feeling rejected by their precious granddaughter or neice, start bragging immediately about the important developmental milestone she has reached!

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J.T.

answers from Topeka on

This is an absolute normal thing. All kids might go throught it. New or some what new people may scare her. She will out grow it.

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S.B.

answers from Tulsa on

My daugher did the same thing at that age. I really don't know what to tell you. She did eventually grow out of it, as some sort of hope. She still is a very shy child and is very hesitant around birthday parties even with family with the otherside of cousins families. Just be reushering and sometimes as bad as it sounds it may just be for you benefit. My daughter cried with my husbands side ALOT. At the time we lived with my parents so she was comfortable with them. But I had my in laws babysit her more and she was ok after we left at that age. So some of it maybe be a little bit of separation anxiety. Just be reushering and if it is for babysitters at all remember the longer you stick around and the more nervous you are the more this behavior is going to come out.

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