Not an AIBU, have posted in parenting and not had any replies
Its been going for a few months, the last month or so, she has stepped it up a gear.
I regularly take her to my sisters, who has four DCs, they have a lovely park by their house, so we visit daily.
When we leave the house and get in car, she is so excited shouting my niece and nephews names, I get her out of the car seat and she is running to the door again excited, the minute the door is opened, she stops, starts whinging and insists on me picking her up, I try not to but then it becomes a major tantrum.Her screaming and pulling at my clothes
Then for the next hour she wont leave my lap, sometimes she does eventually get down and play a little, but comes back every 5-10 mins, for a cuddle, and 10 mins on my lap, then goes off again.Other days though, she will not move from my lap. Her arms are cwtched around me, and she is gently tapping my neck, smoothing me, and generally being very affectionate
Shops, home, everywhere is the same
We went to a fun fair last week, she spotted a mickey mouse bouncy castle[with roof] she ran straight for it,took her shoes off, we paid the man, she climbed up, the man opened the slit for her to get in, the minute he did that she run straight back to me, screaming
She got on the swings, all excited, until the man put the chain across her lap before the ride started. Again she screamed, and got off.
She is great with her siblings [ DD13yo,DS8yo] and great with my DH.If DD 13yo, takes her to the park, and Im in the house, she becomes clingy with her sibling, not moving anywhere without her hand, or being carried.
Not sure if its relevant she has a scruffy soft doll, with funny ears, which DD has carried around with her for 18months, she will not go anywhere without her, bedtime involves her playing with the dolls ears, for her to drop off to sleep
She woke in the night last, DH put her in the middle of the bed between us[not something we normally do, DH had been up since 5am for work, and I had had a long day, DS had been taken to a+e with a bang to his head]
Anyway, I have as little as 2 hours sleep, DD has been a nightmare, she has been cwtching me, stroking me head, kissing my head, putting her arm under my head etc, dropping of to sleep, every 30 mins or so she has woken up realized she has been moved across the bed a bit, giving me space, then spent the next 20 mins again hugging, smoothing me etc, saying "are you alright mum?"
I hope im not coming across like a horrid mum here, me and my dd are extremely close, and her hugs are lovely, just recently, ive almost felt smothered, and its clear she is losing her social skills
Any advice would be gratefully received
AIBU?
Help clingy 2yo ... advise please
welshbyrd · 24/07/2011 10:22
and its clear she is losing her social skills
I think it's too soon to be coming to this conclusion OP.
My advice would be to go with it. She's probably made another developmental leap recently and is probably becoming more and more aware of her world around her. It can be a pretty frightening place for a wee one. Look at it this way - when she's 14 and ignoring you, you'll be yearning for these cuddles. For the moment, just give her the reassurance she clearly needs, and she'll come through it. I know you're knackered, but she needs you at the moment and this phase will pass. 
No Im not ill, she asks "are you alright mum?" because its something I say to her when she is in the car, if she is quiet.
Though, when DS bumped his head last night, she was clingy to the extreme, while I was seeing to him.
I really do spend a lot of cuddle/love time with her[ at least 2-3 hours a day, on top of her sitting on my lap when we are out] When we are sat down talking/watching TV, me and her are always cuddled up together,[infact to the degree I feel my other 2DCs miss out].
On a daily bases, its normally just me and her, DH works, and the other DCs are normally in school, however, its summer holidays, maybe she is struggling to cope with other 2 being home IYSWIM.We are very close.
She refused her dad dressing her this morning, she wanted me to do it,though while I was putting one sock on her, she asked her dad to do the other. She followed me up the stairs while I got changed.
We have just been to the corner shop for a newspaper, as we were approaching the door, a customer was leaving, she turned towards me and wanted picking up as soon as she seen the other person
Nothing dramatic, spooky has happened to her, Im with her 24/7 so would know. Maybe a bad dream a few weeks ago?
She has a great relationship with her dad, while he is very loving towards her, their time together is a lot of play.
I do not know if its possible to be OTT with a child, I feel silly typing it. But we never let her scream as a baby, even to the extremes we would lie on her bed with her for up to 2 hours for her to go to sleep, so she would not scream.[ she has barely slept right through since birth] If she wants something we gave it to her 
. We knew she was our last child, and we have done everything to keep her happy, sometimes, even if we know it had not been a good idea, and long-term of no benefit for her. I had a cot death valentines day 2000, my dear dear son was 5 months old.
With little time with my son, I think I have over compensated with DD
I do not know if any of this is relevant, and perhaps its me and DH who could be the problem.
Jeez 
I have stumped myself here 
Hello welshbyrd.
Your dd sounds quite similar to my dd at the moment (She's 2.3yrs). She has recently become very clingy, particularly for me rather than DH. We're just going with it as we think it's probably a phase.
She wants lots of cuddles and reassurance. If something spooks her she immediately needs cuddles - saying "Scared - Mummy safe" etc. I took her to soft play this morning and she literally wouldn't do anything without me! I am bruised and exhausted lol! 
She was scared of the monsters, the man hoovering, the kids screaming on the death slide - you name it! Interestingly she's not like this for DH.
We think she has possibly started having bad dreams - she talked about a spider one day on waking that clearly was not there, but other than that there's nothing concrete we can think of. Is this about the right age for bad dreams/imaginaion to become more vivid?
What I think I'm trying to say is it seems fairly normal and a bit of a phase. I reckon just give as many cuddles as she needs and pretty soon she'll be onto the next phase.
Not sure if this will help you really, but at least you know there's someone else getting cuddled and stroked all day long
Thanks you for all the replies. Really appreciate it.
TheHappyCamper - I really appreciated your reply, my DD is also 2.3yo. I have been researching online/friends etc about this, and child stranger anxiety, most of what I have come across, have been for much younger children. Your reply has put me at ease, our DDs are the same age, and behaving similarly.
I can imagine your DD is loving all the extra cuddles, I know my DD is , as another posters said "when she's 14 and ignoring you, you'll be yearning for these cuddles"
I feel more at ease now, knowing my parenting is not OTT, and that this is perfectly normal.
Just a quick something to add - I remember DD2 at this age noticing shadows and being OTT clingy (literally climbing up my leg at one point in the middle of Tesco, I remember the 'looks' I got from other shoppers). I'm certain she started dreaming too at the same stage. But she came through it and now she's a feisty 5 yr old wanting to have chances to do things on her own.
I'm glad you feel more at ease now and it doesn't sound AT ALL that your parenting is OTT; you sound like a lovely Mum giving lots and lots of much-needed cuddles (albeit exhausting for you). For some bizarre reason, in this part of the world, we are encouraged to rear children that are independent from us and this is often started at a ridiculously young age. I go with the opinion that my children will be independent from me when they are ready to start driving and am enjoying my cuddles and clinging whilst they last.
CurrySpice - the co-sleeping arrangement was a one off thing, after the sleep I had that night, I will not be making a habit of it. Last night DD slept in her bed, she slept all night
Yesterday DH made some cakes with her - while I had a sneaky half hour on wii zumba fitness [its exhausting ]. She popped in to me a few times,on the whole though, she stayed with him, and enjoyed making a mess
Todays plans are swimming, I do not know how she is going to react coming out of changing room, and seeing so many people. [im dreading it]. I must be mad, but im still going to give it a go.
And I glad you did decide to add your second reply Loonytoonie, I think you have hit the nail on the head with
" I just think you're acutely aware of how fragile life can be, and are treasuring it"
This says exactly how I feel, I just could not word it right
Have a good day OP. Tale the pressure off everyone by just going with her needs today. Even if that means you sitting in the warmer kiddies area and getting very wrinkly in the water 
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Haven't read whole thread but all 3 of mine went very clingy until about 4.
They can't bear being near me now
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