Separation anxiety in children: US search interest up 80% since 2016

• Search interest in separation anxiety in children rose about 80% between 2016 and 2025: the combined index for the three searches was 14.2 in 2016 and 25.7 in 2025. "Separation anxiety in children" and "separation anxiety school" roughly doubled; "separation anxiety toddler" rose by more than half.
• The only year-over-year decline came in 2020 (13.6, down from 18.3 in 2019). Search interest in "separation anxiety dog" rose that year, peaked in 2021, and has declined every year since.
• Search interest in "separation anxiety school" rises with the start of the school year: from 2016 through 2025, its highest month was August or September every year. In 2021–2025, August and September averaged 7.9 on the index — almost twice the rest of the year (4.2).
• Search interest in dogs is still higher (63.7 in 2025), but the gap has narrowed from about 3.4 times the children's figure in 2016 to 2.5 times in 2025.

Separation anxiety is distress when a child is apart from, or expects to be apart from, the people they're attached to — usually parents. In babies and toddlers it's a normal, expected stage: it typically appears in the second half of the first year, peaks somewhere in the toddler years and then gradually eases.

At ages 4 to 6, most children cope with ordinary separations, but it often returns at moments of change: starting preschool or kindergarten, a new sibling, a move, an illness, or a long vacation or school break. Tears at drop-off in September are very common and usually settle within a few weeks.

What it isn't: a sign that a child is spoiled or that attachment has gone wrong. Protesting separation is common in securely attached children; many just haven't yet built confidence that the separation will end well.

The chart shows that US search interest in these terms has risen; search data alone cannot tell us who is searching or why.

Most of what helps is about making the goodbye predictable and short.

Prepare beforehand. Talk about the day in order: "First we'll hang up your coat, then you'll play, then snack, then I'll pick you up after lunch." Visit the classroom or walk past the building before the first day if you can.

Create a goodbye ritual. The same words, the same hug, the same wave at the window every day. Some families use a small token — a kiss drawn on a palm, a note in a pocket, a photo — something the child can hold onto.

Keep it short. Long goodbyes, going back for "one more hug," and lingering at the door usually make it harder. Do your ritual, hand your child to the teacher, and go.

Don't sneak out. It may avoid tears today, but a child who discovers you've vanished often clings harder tomorrow, because they can't predict when you'll leave.

Tell them exactly when you'll be back, in their terms — "after nap," not "at two o'clock" — and be on time, especially in the first weeks.

And stay calm yourself. Children read their parents' faces at drop-off. A confident "I know you'll be okay, I'll see you after lunch" helps more than a worried look over the shoulder. Many teachers say most children settle within minutes of the parent leaving. If the tears go on, ask the teacher how long your child takes to settle after you've gone; the answer is often reassuring.

For most children, separation anxiety fades with time, practice, and patient support. For a small number, it becomes intense and long-lasting enough to interfere with daily life. Clinicians call this separation anxiety disorder, and it's one of the more common anxiety problems in young children.

Signs worth discussing with a pediatrician include: distress that is extreme and doesn't settle after the first few weeks of a new school year; refusing to go to preschool or school most days; frequent tummy aches or headaches before separations; persistent worry that something bad will happen to a parent; refusing to sleep alone for months; and nightmares about separation.

The good news is that it responds well to treatment. Well-tested approaches use gradual practice with separations, much like a fear ladder, with parents closely involved, and they help many children. Our study brief on fear ladders describes the approach and the research behind it.

If you're unsure, it's always reasonable to ask. A pediatrician can help judge whether this is a normal phase or something that would benefit from more support.

The chart shows a rise in US search interest in separation anxiety in children, with a dip in 2020. Google Trends can't tell us why people search, so the explanations below are possibilities, not findings.

The rise may reflect wider awareness of the term, for example through parenting content online.

The pandemic years may have played a part. Many young children spent months at home with their parents and then faced preschool or school for the first time later than usual, which may have made those first separations harder.

The 2020 dip may reflect the fact that many children spent much of that year at home, with fewer drop-offs, but the data can't confirm it.

None of this shows that separation anxiety itself became more common. It shows that relative search interest in these terms has grown, and that searches about school peak each August or September.

Source: Google Trends, search interest in "separation anxiety toddler", "separation anxiety in children", "separation anxiety school" and "separation anxiety dog", United States, monthly (retrieved September 25, 2026). License: Data source: Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends).

Google Trends values are relative, not counts. All four searches were downloaded in one query, so they share one scale, where 100 marks the month with the highest relative search interest across the four (July 2021, for "separation anxiety dog"). A value of 0 can mean there was too little data. The children line adds up the three children's searches; each line is the average of the twelve monthly values in a year. 2026 is left out of the chart because the year isn't over — January–September 2026 is in the monthly CSV (September is partial). Values come from a sample and may vary between downloads. Retrieved September 25, 2026.

Download the data (CSV) Each search, yearly (CSV) Monthly data, 2016–2026 (CSV)

When does separation anxiety end?

For most children, the typical toddler peak eases by around three, and ordinary separation worries at four to six usually settle within a few weeks of a new routine starting. It can return briefly at times of change, like a new school or a new sibling. If it stays intense for months or interferes with daily life, talk to your pediatrician.

Why do kids have separation anxiety?

Because they're attached to their parents and don't yet fully trust that a separation will end well. It's a normal part of development, strongest in toddlers. At older ages it often returns with change, tiredness, or stress. A cautious temperament and big life changes can make it stronger. It isn't a sign of spoiling or of weak attachment.

Is separation anxiety normal at 5?

Some is, especially at the start of a school year or after a change at home. Tears at drop-off that settle within minutes, and ease over a few weeks, are very common at age 5. It's worth getting advice if distress is extreme, lasts for months, comes with frequent physical complaints, or stops your child from going to school.

How long does separation anxiety last at the start of school?

For most children, the worst of it settles within two to four weeks of a consistent routine, though some take longer and a few have setbacks after weekends or school breaks. Keeping drop-offs short and predictable, being on time for pickup, and talking with the teacher about how your child settles after you leave all help it pass faster.

Should I sneak out to avoid tears at drop-off?

It's tempting, but it usually backfires. A child who finds you've disappeared without saying goodbye can become more clingy and watchful, because they can't predict when you'll leave. A short, warm, predictable goodbye — even with tears — builds trust faster. Most children calm down within minutes once the goodbye is done.

Courage and the Bravery Ladder (lessons 9 and 10) practice small, planned brave steps — the same idea as practicing short separations.

See the course

Read next

• Fear ladders: small brave steps for anxious young children
• Anxiety in children: about 1 in 20 kids aged 5–11 seem very worried every day
• How to Boost Kids' Confidence, Even in a Shy Child