We as parents put a lot of effort into building a strong bond with our kids, so we may worry if anything happens to risk that bond, anything like you leaving for a week.
This article looks into whether your baby will remember you after a week.
Will my baby remember me after a week?
Life can be quite chaotic and changes in your routine can happen at any time, like you suddenly having to go somewhere for a week.
If you have a baby at home during this time you may worry and wonder if your baby will remember you after you take some time away from them.
Here is what you need to know if you’re worried that your baby will forget you after a week.
Babies and remembering you:
Depending on how old your baby is they may not even notice that you’re gone for a week so they won’t forget or remember you.
Babies continue to develop basic functions even after they are born, they are still developing their ability to see and their ability to remember during this time.
The baby can’t see you for the first few months of life, especially if you’re farther than 12 inches away, so they may not even recognize your face but will still recognize your mannerisms and smell
These young children will also not remember or forget you because your babies have not yet developed the ability to think about you when you aren’t there.
For this reason, they won’t remember you if you aren’t right in front of your face, this isn’t the same as forgetting you.
Your child will likely start to forget about you, or get used to you not being around if you’re gone for more than a few days.
The child will look for you for a couple of days after you leave but will get used to you not being there.
Don’t worry, your child will warm up to you a few days into you getting back, they may seem confused and may not immediately recognize you when you get back but they will get used to you being back. Your child will not remember that you were gone and will go back to forming a bond with you a few days in.
What to do:
While this can be quite upsetting you don’t have to worry too much if this is happening to your child, it’s normal for this to happen and your child will get back to loving you soon enough.
What may help is video calling your child while you are away, this will help your child remember you as they are seeing you daily.
Don’t worry if you can’t video call, just know your baby is most probably happy even though you aren’t around.
Make sure that you are attentive with your baby once you come back, play peekaboo with them, take them along when going to the grocery store, take them long when you’re running errands, and take them along when you’re going to have lunch or dinner out.
Leaving a shirt or blouse with the baby’s caretaker, to give to the baby when they sleep, should help the baby at least remember your smell. The shirt or blouse can be left in the baby’s crib.
Be patient with your baby when you come back, the baby will need to get used to you so allow your child to do this in their own time. And don’t be upset or saddened by any shyness when you come back after a week.
If you enjoyed this article you may be interested in other child related articles: Why Does My Baby Not Look At Me, Will My Baby Recognize Me If I Shave?, Will My Baby Remember Me When I Go Back To Work, Will My Baby Prefer Grandma Over Me, Why Does My Child Always Need To Touch Me?, Baby Likes Daycare More Than Mom, Why Does My Baby Always Need To Hold Something, Baby Not Bonding With Nanny, Why Does My Baby Hit Me In The Face?
