to ask about your 1 year olds relationships with their father?

[BusyLizzie99]

Dd is 14 months. Dp works 4 days on 4 days off and sees dd for at least 4 hours on work days so a great deal more than alot of fathers IMO. However, dd only ever wants me. She is sociable, smiley and waves at him but there's not a chance she'd play with him or let him hold her or anything while I'm in the room without screaming the place down. I do everything for her 24/7 because of this and - quite frankly - I'm knackered. We have 2 other children and I want to be able to spend one on one time with them without baby hanging off me. He takes her while I read with elder dc and if distracted and in a different room she'll play for 20 mins or so but then come looking for me. AIBU to think she should be used to both of us by now and that if he doesn't make more effort with her she's only ever going to want me to do everything? Or AIBU and is this a normal thing considering her age?

Could it just be her personality, if your other DCs weren't like this?
My DD will play with my husband if he really takes time to entertain he/make her laugh, but there's no way she'd sit and cuddle with him for long. If he gets up with her in the morning, she is usually whinging after 20 minutes and it's almost impossible to have a lie in
She is more content if he puts her in a sling on his hip and lets her walk round the house with him whilst he does stuff. Seems to take her mind off it.

I have put it down to the fact that because I spend all day with her, I can work out what she wants quicker than he can, so not his fault.
I think it is really normal to be clingy at this age, with separation anxiety etc.
I'm just giving into it and letting her cuddle, but I only have the one atm, so I'm certain I will be singing from a different hymn sheet if we have any more Hope you get a break soon OP.

My godson was like that at a similar age, only ever wanted his mum. He grew out of it but it was frustrating as his mum is disabled so trying to help her was a nightmare cos he would scream blue murder if anyone else went to him

But they're all like this with me so whichever one I'm doing something with it means the others are 'missing out.' I feel run ragged while dp sits around - I.e. Two youngest in bath tonight while I'm reading with eldest, I get older child out of bath, dried and dressed, then baby too and dp just lurks about because none of them want his help. I feel like it's always going to be like this with youngest dd if he doesn't do something now. The other two are older and stuck in their ways but I feel we could encourage younger dd to be closer to him so I don't have to do everything for everyone.

You may have to force the issue then, stop doing stuff and make dp do it, refuse to engage, "daddy will do it" etc. Will create upset st first but will calm down

My DD is exactly the same and my DH was very upset about this when she was smaller (22 months now).

To stop her constantly hanging off me when he is around on the weekends, we found an interest they could share that I am not a part of. They share an interest in music that they explore without me. He sits and plays music video's for her from all different genre's and they sing the songs together and dance wildly around the room. It sounds naff but it encourages her to not stick to me all day long and he shares his love of music with her. DH used to be involved in making music so its a passion of his and all we have to do now is play a song in the house and she instinctively goes to her dad to sing, dance and play with him.

Sounds like your DH does need to be a bit more proactive and for us it worked to pick one specific interest of DH's and find a way to make it toddler friendly, which was easy with music. Of course I listen to music with her too, but he makes it more fun focussed and physically interactive.

They are going to start bike riding and swimming without me this summer too.

Poppingin's DH's music idea is lovely, am going to suggest it to my DH.
It is almost like DH has to 'work' a lot harder with DD, whereas I am more for comfort/cuddles/boob which take less effort

MY DH struggled to bond with my older children, when they were young, but I when I started working evenings he had to "cope" with them crying as I left and he soon devised activities that they could enjoy together. My youngest has a fantastic bond with her Daddy, as he has looked after her since she was 8 months old while I was at work (still only evenings, when he gets home from his "day job"). He sets aside a couple of hours every Saturday to take her to the "cafe" for lunch (slice of toast!!) and the library. Encourage your DH to do something with each of your DCs individually, that is THEIR special activity. One of mine enjoys playing golf/ pool with dad, one does archery, one goes cycling and the other did do karate (until he got too old, 20 now!). Let them go out somewhere together, go swimming, for example, while you do something else with the others. Sometimes it will work out that they can ALL go off together and you can take a break.

My 2 year old DD is very similar - certainly a mummy's girl (unless Granny is around when I am forgotten ). To a certain extent I blame him, he complains she never wants to go to him, but what does he do every weekend, lie in bed/on the sofa and play on his ipad. He never takes her out or plays with her for more than 5 mins.

I've given up nagging - its not worth it, and everytime I get cross thinking about remind myself, its him that's missing out.

Dd1 was like this until I went back to work and dp had her alone 2 and a half days a week. The behaviour quickly disappeared as they got used to each other.

MrsSparkles

Don't worry op, ds was the same. He's now 6 and loves spending time with us equally.

attheendoftheday It's my own fault really, I should have gone out more, and left them together when she was younger, and let them have something they do together without me - I think that's the key.

He's just never had to learn that DD comes first, so if she wants me I'll invariably stop what I'm doing and play with her, he won't he'll say in a minute, which will actually be 10-15 mins later by which time she's off to something else. We have very different (cultural) parenting styles.

I'm hoping she'll grow out of it, plus I'm planning to take up a Sat morning hobby so they'll have to get used to each other!

DP is a SAHD most of the week, he works 1 dayand all the rest is evenings.

Our daughters adore him. The younger one (2) would choose him over me and the older one would choose me everytime and twice on Sunday's :)

He has been a SAHD since the youngest was 14 months old (when I went back to work!) works for us :)

I think this is fairly normal: babies and very small children tend to have a closer bond with the primary care-giver (usually mum.)

My dd started to bond with her dad much more at about 18 months. I just noticed this more or less overnight sea change. The kids become more interactive suddenly, and men sometimes find it hard to relate to babies.

That's not to say you shouldn't encourage him to spend more time with your dc though: sounds like everyone would benefit.

Dd is 1 and will go to dh just as much as me. He does however do a lot of childcare so they are very close. He is on her own with her a lot too. He was the same with dc1. It doesnt sound like your dh is very hands on, and needs to do a lot more with her.

I also dont buy the men find it hard to relate to babies. If they are involved, hands on dads and care about their children then they will be just as involved as mum.

It changed for us when DH started co-sleeping with DS instead of me. He would then bring him through for feeds when required.

At a year, my DS was practically velcroed to me. He'd scream if DH picked him up instead of me, wanted no-one but me.

At 18 months there was a change. He will now play with both of us, sometimes will seek DH for a cuddle rather than me - but if he's upset and cranky he will still come to me.

Both my boys see DH as the fun one though

DP always did a lot for DS (majority of bathing, carrying when out and and about, pacing the hallway, feeding once weaned etc), yet still he much prefers mum - holding my hand to cross the road, being carried if he's tired etc. - the only men who have trouble relating to babies are the ones that won't take the time I think - in the early days DP seemed to be in the bath with DS more often than out (it calmed DS down a treat)! There's never been any problem with bonding (although I relate to the taking 15 minutes to do something DS has been asking for, by which time DS is either over it or incandescent)

Like BabyHmummy says, I think you need to force it - for ages I did bedtime (because I fed him to sleep), but once he'd largely dropped that feed we swapped to DP doing teeth/bed/story - and he was upset the first few times, crying for me, but we just told him it was Daddy's turn and Mummy would come in and say goodnight after the story - and now, even through the tears of not wanting to go to bed he pokes his head around the door to say goodnight to me and pads off with DP.

I have the opposite: DS is all over Daddy like a rash while Mummy hardly gets a look in. Especially difficult when DS is ill; DH works from home and I'm a sahm, DH can barely get any work done because DH cries for him. I'm left standing around like an uninvited guest, it's heartbreaking. And a pain in the ass: DH had a huge job on a couple of weeks ago, DS had fever and wanted only Daddy. DH's 40th birthday was being with sick, screaming DS all day then working like a bugger til the small hours to get the work done.

This has been going on since DS was about 9/10 mo, he's now 19mo. He's happier in DH's arms, although he plays with me quite happily.

It's been heartbreaking

My ds is 16 months and a total clingon

He loves his Dad and sees him as fun time but always wants me. We both work full time so sees us both the same amount of time and we both do for him. Must be a baby/Mum thing!

If I'm out he will happily (sometimes) settle for dh but if I'm there he automatically wants me.

From what I hear, although it's tough, it is normal behaviour. I'm trying to get over the hard part and enjoy all the cuddles while they last!

Mine was a bit like this, but like a PP I started working evenings 4 days a week when she was 9months old. Now she really doesn't mind which of us is around. Unless she's ill, then it has to be me!

Encourage your DH to do something with each of your DCs individually, that is THEIR special activity. One of mine enjoys playing golf/ pool with dad, one does archery, one goes cycling and the other did do karate (until he got too old, 20 now!). Let them go out somewhere together, go swimming, for example, while you do something else with the others. Sometimes it will work out that they can ALL go off together and you can take a break.

^^This

We would have the same in our house although often he takes the 3 of them together it works a treat he is the coolest daddy and I get time off it is great.

But headinhands - neither of the older children starting accepting him doing things for them when they got older and I can't see this one being any different. I spend my time stretched between the three while he lurks in the background and it isn't fair on the kids or me. The older ones don't want to go do anything alone with him, when he's tried they just sulk because they want me there too and don't engage with him. If I ask him to have the baby he always just takes her for a walk where generally she falls asleep so isn't really getting used to him - as soon as she gets back she's crying for me again and I'm up later to deal with her because of the sleep while he sits watching tv.