My 5 year old is being really clingy at present. She's just gone back into Year 1 at school (our schools started back on the Tues aftter the BH) but throughout the summer she's been very clingy to me, saying she doesn't want to be with her dad, wants mummy to drop her off and pick her up from the CM / school, and she keeps waking up at night and climbing in next to me for reassurance. I work FT and have less generous A/L than DH, who is also PT, so I'm not around as much as him, but I do work office hours so I'm there first thing at home and for bedtime and we spend time together at weekends.
I thought she was reacting to the swap from school to family holiday to being at home with dad / at the CM over the summer, but we're still seeing it, and her sleep last night was dreadful. She was up 4 times. I know that this is a phase and we need to ride it out, but she's asking why I can't pick her up from school, says she cries at lunchtime because I'm not there (teacher hasn't mentioned this at all). She's fine when I am at home - if she's tired she wants to sit next to me and snuggle up, but otherwise she'll play on her own or with her big brother. We've done the clingy toddler phase, but a 5 year old who can't quite explain why she feels like this is a challenge as I don't know how to reassure her or what else we can do. I can't work fewer hours to be at home more.
Anything we haven't thought of?