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Expert Q&A

	By iParenting Staff iParenting Staff Experts

I have 13-month-old twin boys who are clingy and nervous around other people. Is there anything I can do?

This sounds like a very normal stage for your 13-month-old twins. They are right in the age range where separation anxiety develops. If they are not around other children in playgroups on a regular basis, that may add some to the feelings of anxiety, but is certainly not a problem at this stage.

Usually, separation anxiety is a phase that many children go through and by the age of 18 to 24 months. This feeling usually resolves itself. In fact, most kids go from clinging onto their parents to another stage of wide-eyed exploration and sense of independence.

As a parent, you should praise you children's independent activities, but not force your children to separate. For example, don't take them into a room with other children and then just leave or sneak away. That might actually make the separation anxiety worse if they think you are abandoning them. Stay with them while introducing them to environments with other people. They will gradually build their comfort level of being around other people and probably pass through this common stage of development.

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