At what age does a child typically begin to show stranger anxiety?

Stranger anxiety typically begins to emerge around 6 months of age. At this stage, infants start to develop more secure attachments to their primary caregivers and may become wary or anxious when encountering unfamiliar people. This behavioral shift is rooted in the cognitive and emotional development that occurs as children begin to recognize and differentiate between familiar faces and strangers. As babies grow and their social awareness increases, they express their discomfort with unfamiliar individuals more clearly.

At 4 months, children are generally more exploratory and less likely to exhibit a specific reaction to strangers, as their awareness of social contexts is not yet fully developed. By 8 months and onwards, while anxiety around strangers becomes more pronounced, children usually begin to manifest this behavior around the 6-month mark. Thus, understanding this developmental timeline is important for caregivers and pediatric practitioners in anticipating and responding to children's emotional needs during this phase.