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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Sibling separation anxiety
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Sibling separation anxiety
by admsfam, Aug 30, 2004 12:00AM
My 5 year old just began kindergarten 3 days a week leaving his 3 year old brother home or at daycare without him. My 3 year old is showing some interesting behavioral issues. He has been angry and aggressive at daycare, distracted at home, and constantly asking about his brother. He knows he is at school, but he also picks up on the things his brother tells him about school and discusses those things in his absence. I am concerned that this separation, though normal, may be affecting him negatively and I am wondering if there is any way to help him adjust to the changes.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Aug 31, 2004 12:00AM
, Aug 31, 2004 12:00AM
This will all be fine - give it some time. You can imagine how disconcerting it can be to a young child to suddenly have a sibling sort of disappear for stretches of time. This is hard for a young child to understand, primarily because the young child has no framework for what has happened. Be sure that the daycare setting sets limits around the aggressive behavior. Otherwise, be alert to questions your three-year-old might have about his brother and his whereabouts. Have you shown him the school where his brother attends? If you haven't already done so, let him come along a couple of times so he can see where his brother is. If you've already done these things, you've pretty much done what you can. Be patient - he's just reacting to a significant change in the environment, and he'll adapt.
