Hello,
I have a five and a half year old grandson who is very very anxious about being abandoned or left alone. He also engages in some self-deprecating behavior/language which is disturbing. I am also his kindergarten teacher and as such have experienced some issues at school with task persistence and fidgety behavior. His performance academically is average to above average, he has lots of friends and has has no major trauma in his life that I am aware of. However, I am worried about these irrational fears and how they might be related to how he sometimes talks about himself.
For example, he will not remain in any room of his home, or mine for any length of time without an adult before he becomes very anxious. He won't play upstairs or even stay in the tub unless he can SEE an adult. Even if I continue to talk to him from the next room, he is not comforted enough to remain in the room alone. Recently, he has begun following his mother around from room to room at home, and he did the same with me this weekend. He wakes up at night and comes downstairs to his parents room almost nightly. He also will question us whether we are coming back (if we leave the house) or if "we are going away forever"? He also will beg us not to leave him if we are getting ready to leave the house and he isn't ready even though no one has ever said or indicated that they would. We constantly reassure him that we would never ever leave him, but his fears are not easily calmed. Recently, he started saying he's bad, can't do anything right, or is a mean person and no one will ever be his friend. I need some options? what can I do to help him?
Some significant factors may be that he moved to a new house about 4 months ago (but this began before that) in which his bedroom is upstairs. He slept with his parents off and on (mostly on) until he was about three. His parents are loving and provide him with many social activities, they do not spank, but they do yell at him and at each other in front of him sometimes. He also watches what I would consider inappropriate movies for his age such as Jurassic World (PG13). He has an active imagination. He seems not to be afraid of the rooms or the movies themselves, but the "aloneness" fills him with fear. He will not have pictures made with disney characters, or stand on things that are high either. He has never wanted to dress up for halloween. Should I be worried?