Will try not to make this too long. Basically, I have a 20 month old DS who has always favoured mummy over daddy. Most of the time, when DH tries to do something with him (from playing a game to giving him his tea, or even just holding hands while we walk in from the car), he screams and cries, and wants me to do it. When DS was younger, we used to console ourselves with the thought that it was just separation anxiety - DS would scream if anyone but mummy tried to do anything with him. In the last couple of months, though, the separation anxiety has improved considerably; recently both grannies have done the bedtime routine with him, and have babysat him for several hours, with absolutely no complaints.
In some ways things have got better - DS and DH now have certain things that they always do together (going for a walk when DH gets in from work, playing Lego upstairs while I make tea), and they're fine if I leave them alone for a few hours. But when I'm there, and DH tries to do anything else with DS, we get the howling and crying. DH does bedtime practically every night, but DS almost always cries as soon as he realises daddy's going to put him to bed. The one time I did it the other day, DS got all excited and started shouting 'bye bye daddy' repeatedly .
I thought this was just a phase, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. And although DH tries to remain cheerful about it, I think it's increasingly beginning to upset him, particularly now DS is old enough to express himself more articulately. I feel awful, because DH was initially uncertain about having kids, but I assured him that he'd adore any child that was his own. That has turned out to be the case - but the same isn't true the other way round! It's true that DH is not the most natural with very young kids, and isn't terribly physically affectionate (with anyone, not just DS), but he absolutely loves DS and really tries hard to do fun things with him.
Has anyone else been through this, and is there anything I can do??