Please no judgement.

I’m a first time mom to an 8 month old little girl. Since she was born she’s spent every second with me. She’s comfortable with me, my husband, and my family. We run errands a lot when my husband is off, but other than that we are always home. I don’t have mom friends.

Well I made a mom friend who has a 10 month old son. We decided to meet up and have a play date. I knew my daughter would need to warm up to him because this was her first time meeting another baby or kid.

Y’all. She cried bloody murder the entire time. Any time I set her down to play she screamed. If he got too close to her, she screamed. Even if he was on the other side of the play area and I put her in the ball bit by herself, she screamed. I mean red face, tears. Her “I’m scared cry.” (You know, moms.) I figured it was too many new things in one day and brushed it off. I just held her the whole time.

Well yesterday my husband and I brought her to the park. He sat her in the swing and the same thing happened as the play date. She screamed her “I’m scared” cry. Then he sat in the swing and put her on his lap. He didn’t even swing. Just sat there and she screamed. Then he tried to put her in his lap to go down the baby slide (super short one for one year olds) she screamed for that too.

Have I caused my 8 month old to have social anxiety? Scared of everything? I don’t know what to do. I want her to have fun and explore. But I can’t watch my baby be scared like that. Please any help is welcomed. Thank you