Should I hug less??

[OK2023]

My two and a half year old has become really clingy to me. She's got a weird daddy aversion too, even though he's very present. She wants to climb all over me all the time and it's getting frustrating. Her latest thing is getting inside my jumper.

Thing is I love the cuddles. We are very physically affectionate. But I'm worried it's giving her mixed signals to sometimes be happy getting really snuggly etc, and sometimes telling her I need space to the point where I have to hold her back and she will cry.

Any suggestions?

Ah man it's hard to strike the balance isn't it. My 2.5 year old is a huge hugger, has been for as long as I can remember. For me, when I'm not very physically affectionate it can be a lot. Regardless of where you are with cuddles I think it's okay to say you have a boundary/have had enough for the day. There's a great analogy about pizza which someone used with their kids...You can love pizza, pizza could be something you can eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's your ultimate favourite food, but more than likely after a few days of eating nothing but pizza you're going to start fancying something else. It's still your fave, you just need some variety! Hugs can be something you enjoy, but it's okay to not want them 24/7 or always on someone else's terms.