Stranger Anxiety

What I had been reading about for months finally happened! Ben's parents arrived Thursday evening for a weekend visit and when they rang the doorbell Dexter was playing in the living room. They enthusiastically went to Dexter and, at first, he seemed very excited to see Gunker (Ben's dad). Ben looks and sounds a lot like his dad so I think Dexy thought it was his Daddy coming to get him. But when Gunker picked Dexy up, he got a good look at Gunker and the expression on his face went from excited happy to terrified sad. Meanwhile, Grandma was approaching to say hi and Dexter was having none of it. He was screaming and crying, pushing his poor grandparents away, his wide eyes darting around the room seeking Mommy. He calmed down when I took him into my arms but he still was wary of Grandma and Gunker, looking around and crying when he caught sight of them. This only lasted a few minutes, after which he quickly warmed up to them.

I know this is going to sound evil but it was hilarious. It was also comforting and rewarding (for me) to experience this normal attachment behavior. Let's hope his birthday party doesn't traumatize him too much!!