Posting for traffic
DD is 7, has some SN which include physical issues and an academic delay but in lots of ways she’s a very normal 7 year old (she loves unicorns, glitter, dogs, sylvanian families etc).
I am a single parent. DD sees ExH and Ex-PILs EOW for 1 night, that’s it – they’re supposed to have her extra in holidays but never do. Split with ExH when DD was 2 due to violence and control issues. Adding in case it’s relevant.
As I am a single parent I have a lot of help from my own mum. She’s fantastic with DD, will look after her whenever I need it but I do also use wrap around and holiday clubs but mum will cover if I need childcare around those times - sometimes happens, if I finish at 5.30pm I can’t always get home until 6.15pm and wraparound and holiday club finish at 5.30pm so mum gets her for me and keeps hold of her until I can get home. We see my mum 2-3 times a week even if she’s not done childcare sometimes more (there have been weeks where we see her everyday), sometimes less (we occasionally go 5-7 days without seeing her if she’s on holiday or we’re very busy) but on average I’d say twice a week. We often get invited for tea and are included in birthday celebrations for my sibling who lives with my mum. Mum will often just ring me and ask to get DD from school or holiday club to spend a bit of time with her.
DD was ill with a sickness bug last week (finished for summer on 16th July) it was definitely a bug and not covid (negative LFT and the same bug swept round her class in the last week of term, at one point 5 out of 31 where off with it) so I took a few days off work to care for her and we stayed away from my mum as she cares for my elderly GPs (they’re nearly 90) for 72 hours (we did 24 hours after sickness to go out then 48 hours after away from mum incase she spread it to my GPs).
Since then we’ve seen my mum a couple of times and every time DD is clinging to her, crying saying she doesn’t want her leave. She asks for her minutes after she’s gone home, she keeps ringing her through her ipad (which is fine I don’t mind, she only has mine, ExHs, mum and Ex-PILs in the ipad to call anyway).
She can be a bit like this over me when she goes to ExHs but it usually only lasts until she’s called me then she’s fine. She can be a bit clingy after being with ExH but again only lasts 24 hours at most before she’s back to normal.
She’s crying again because mum answered the facetime call but said she was busy and would call her back later, we saw her yesterday afternoon and will see her again tomorrow as I’m working and DDs off to holiday club and mums doing the end of day pick up for me due to when I finish but DDs crying saying she wants my mum.
Does anyone know why she’s suddenly clingy of my mum and how I can reassure her that my mum is fine? It’s heartbreaking hearing her asking for my mum all the time –and I’m slightly jealous I will admit--