Previously on champuru.net, I lamented about Baby Champuru’s stranger anxiety and received many suggestions from moms who have been there, done that. Here are just a few of the helpful suggestions I received and will begin implementing.
- Dust off the Beco baby carrier and wear baby on my back when we are entering a new environment surrounded by unfamiliar faces. The closeness to mom and being up higher (seeing eye-to-eye with the BIG people) should help her cope with an otherwise frightening experience. Once she warms up, let her go and see how much better she socializes.
- Instead of meeting in a confined area, consider meeting up with people at a park or someplace where baby can be engaged/distracted by an activity if her fears start to rise.
- Invite people over to the house. Instead of having to deal with a new environment AND new faces, eliminating one variable should help somewhat.
- Give the child more opportunities to socialize: join a playgroup or play gym (such as Gymboree).
- Don’t be discouraged if none of the above works, because babies really are little people and have their own personalities and preferences. It may just be in her nature to be more reserved or wary of people, give her time and she will eventually outgrow it.
Christmas Eve at my in-laws’ house will be interesting since there will be TONS of people there, lots of excited kids, and many loving and well-meaning relatives chomping at the bit to carry the baby of the family. I think I will try to bring her in the Beco baby carrier and see if that helps her warm up to the crowd without the drama. Also, having her in the carrier will prevent anyone from trying to snatch her away before she’s ready for social interaction. I’ll provide a full report post-Christmas. 
