Hi all
My 18 month old DD has recently started being quite cold with DH, and I wondered if anyone had helpful advice as to what (if anything) I could/should do about it. I work full-time, DH is currently desperately trying to finish his PhD as soon as possible so that he can get a better-paid job, which would in turn enable me to go down to 4 days a week. With him currently not earning, it's not financially feasible for me to work part-time at the moment and so DD is in f/t nursery, where she seems settled and happy.
I collect her 3 days a week (and log in to work after she goes to bed), DH collects her and puts her to bed the other two days, and then I do quite a lot of solo childcare at the weekends while DH is in the library working.
DD has always been affectionate but recently has been particularly cuddly with me, but at the same time much less so with DH, to the point of saying no if I say 'Shall we give daddy a cuddle?' or refusing to say goodbye to him when I take her to nursery in the mornings. I realise she spends more time with me than with him and is still very little, but it's' a bit heartbreaking for him.
Does anyone have experience of similar and do you have any suggestions? He does make an effort to take her to the park etc at the weekend but realistically he does need to finish the PhD ASAP as it's been driving us both mad for years and doing so will help me to spend more time with DD. So he does really need to work on it at the weekends as well as during the week. He is always affectionate and engaged with her, so I don't think it's any real difference in our parenting styles.
Apologies for long post - any suggestions most welcome!