Hi all - in need of a bit of advice. DD is 3.3, and an only child. I am a single mum. As she has gotten older, she has become less interested in being cuddled, but it seems to have been more extreme lately. I have been quite busy organising an International move for the last 2 months, and thus less available to her. Even when I'm at the flat with her, I am often rushing around - so am physically present, but not available. I have made isolated efforts to spend time together doing fun things (took her to the zoo last weekend), but we don't have the one on one time we have had in the past. As a result, she has spent significantly more time with her nanny.........and I'm ashamed to confess......watching videos.
When I do sit with her, and try to cuddle her, she squirms and frequently pushes me away. Don't know if she is older and can assert her preferences/moods better, or if she is "punishing" me for being absent. I suppose one of the few things she can withdraw from me is affection. (try desperately hard not to feel guilty about my absence, and don't want to pressurise a 3 year old into reassuring me that I'm not being a terrible mum!)
Anyway......I'm babbling. What I want to know is.....have any of you had an experience like this where your child didn't want to be cuddled as much? I know I'm overly sensitive about this, because she did stop and give me a big hug/kiss this evening. Maybe it's something as simple as she's becoming her own person and wants to volunteer affection on her own terms rather than respond to my gestures. I'm feeling very anxious about it all, and sometimes wonder if I've got my priorities right. Like yesterday for instance.....when I dropped dd and nanny at the Aquarium and went off to do errands. Kept thinking "I should be at the aquarium with her instead of sorting out the problem with my silly mobile phone." Help.......feeling quite stressed and guilty!