Anyone else with a clingy 22month old? HELP!

[pippinsmum]

Ds is 22 months and over the past month has become very clingy to me, saying mummy mummy all the time and need to be close to me.

Nothing has happened to him that i am aware of (nothing has frightened him that i can think of)

He seems to have gone off everyone including Daddy and just wants mummy to do everything for him, wont let Daddy read to him or change his nappy and just cries and cries if i leave the room.

Is this a phase do you think?
Any advice on what i should do?
Anyone elses lo like this?

[PseudoBadger]

My 21 month DS is like this and has been for a while, worse recently. I just try and carry on as normal - if I need to leave the room, I do!

[pippinsmum]

I just cant stand the constant crying and mummy, mummy, mummy everytime i move.

I find it hard to switch off from it. Which is what friends and family tell me i should do.

[niceupthedance]

Yes my DS is all "see mummy" at the moment. He is 22 months, it has been going on for about a month.

In our case he changed from CM to nursery a fortnight ago, so I am trying to not let it drive me completely crazy.

Does anyone know when it wears off?

[NotInMyDay]

I have one. I went through the same phase with my eldest. It can really wear you down but it passes. I won't always be the only person in the world who can fix things so I try to enjoy it while I am.

[QTPie]

On and off: I think it is a developmental thing - as they develop and become more confident in certain ways, they also feel a bit more insecurity and need more mummy. For instance, we have been potty training recently and suddenly there has been a lot more cling and "mummy mummy mummy!" from an otherwise very confident and independent toddler.

I just go with it as much as humanly possible: it wont last forever :)

[QTPie]

(agreed with the previous poster... this "god like" status wont last beyond the next year or two... Plus I remember my Mum being quite vocal about disliking it when I got clingy as a child - I don't think that was a good thing... )

[MrsHoolie]

My son is 2 and a half and has always been clingy with me although its slightly better these days.
Most people say its a boy thing. My DD was no way near as bad.
It is very very tiresome some days.

[pippinsmum]

Thanks for replies, at leased i am not alone. It seems like a normal phase then!

[greenbananas]

Yes, I think it's a normal phase. My DS did this too at the same sort of age (maybe a bit older?) and I got all sorts of annoying comments about how I had created this clinginess by breastfeeding/carrying him in a sling etc. I think it had more to do with him having a couple of weird dreams and not being able to separate them from reality because he was so young.

DS got over his clinginess fairly soon, and started saying things like "Mummy I don't need you, so you have to stay here, I want to go to the park with just Daddy". I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

I totally gave in to the clinginess, making sure DS knew I was there for him. It was a bit exhausting for a while, but it seemed cruel and counter-productive to ignore his genuine need for me. That approach worked well for DS - once he knew I was available whenever he wanted me, he stopped needing me quite so much.

[Goldenbear]

My DD - 19 months, has always been very clingy when other people want to talk to her or play with her. She is confident in trying things like climbing a wall, oddly running off in shops or playgroups but will cling to my leg, hiding behind me if someone try's to relate to her. I think it's because she just hadn't had the same level of social interaction as her brother.