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Behaviour/development

2-yr-old becoming increasingly clingy to mum and rejecting dad

8 replies

Ellieo · 22/07/2007 15:51

2-year-old ds is becoming more and more clingy to me, to the point where I can't leave his side for more than 2 seconds without him whining "mummy do it" or wanting me to pick him up. He's also really rejecting his dad telling him to go away and not letting him do bedtime without screaming the place down. Is this normal, and what do we do about it? I'm about to have second baby in 2 weeks time, so am really worried how I'm going to cope with new baby and clingy toddler. Could he have picked up on new baby coming soon? He's known there's a baby in mummy's tummy for ages. Any helpful tips much appreciated as I'm coming to the end of my tether!

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cornsilk · 22/07/2007 15:57

Yes it sounds normal - my ds2 was like this. Now he's 6 he just wants his dad!

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Ellieo · 22/07/2007 18:08

Good to hear it's normal, Cornsilk! Can you remember what you did to get through it? We're jumping between making him do things with his dad, and him screaming (which we're really worried will give him a phobia about his dad!) and me just giving in..

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kiskidee · 22/07/2007 18:30

normal. dd is 2yo and currently doing the same. i thought it might be because she still bf and i am the main carer as he works long hours. i've concluded that it is really just a phase.

i found that when i leave her all day with dh, she doesn't reject him. try taking a half or full day off without you ds and leave him with dh. it may reassure you that it is a phase. he'll adjust to the new baby. just cross that bridge when you get there. hugs.

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ProfessorGrammaticus · 22/07/2007 18:53

Normal. We too found that DH was not rejected when DS2 had spent all day with him, but was when he came home from work and the boys had been with me (so most days then)

Have to say it was a bit disheartening for poor DH to make huge efforts to get home by 7pm to see the boys, to be greeted with "Not you!" by DS2!

DS2 is now 6 and it has passed - went on for a while though...

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Biglips · 22/07/2007 18:58

same to my DD - she had always been like this - who is forever shouting "MUMMY!" "MUMMY!". She doesnt let her Daddy do much for her as she say "NO!...want Mummy do it!" as ive gotta do everything!! even when she is ready for bed...she is screaming wanting ME to take her to bed and not Daddy..

Im a SAHM whilst Daddy works and i am not pg

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Biglips · 22/07/2007 18:59

oh want to say that i a sahm which i look after my DD.

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lailasmum · 22/07/2007 19:04

Hi
I have the same thing with my daughter, I am a SAHM who looks after her and my husband works away for a couple of weeks at a time. My daughter is completely a daddies girl and whenever he is back which can be for up to 6 weeks at a time she doesn't leave his side. It used to bug me but I think they just go through phases of this kind of behaviour and I am sure it will flip the other way at some point.

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Ellieo · 23/07/2007 19:04

Thanks for all the feedback - very heartening to hear that others are going through the same thing. It's just so wearing, and he's being sooooo contrary at the moment as well. Whatever I ask him to do gets the answer "no". I think I'm just letting it get to me because of imminence of new baby - |'m so scared of how he'll react, he's probably picking up on it. But you're right, I shall cross that bridge when I come to it...