Daddy's Girl

[JoJoLouise]

My 20 month old daughter has started to demand Daddy all the time and rejecting me. She doesn't want to sit on my knee or cuddle me, instead she sit's on Daddy's knee. I've been away 3 times this month with work, but then again Daddy has also been away.

She screams when he leaves the room and is so excited when he picks her up from nursery, however she barely registers when I walk in the room.

I'm getting so upset, not jealous of how she feels for Daddy but paranoid that she doesn't like me!

Any comments on whether this is normal and how I should cope with it?

It is completely normal. I suspect that every child goes through this, mine certainly did.

What you should do is relax, let him do the majority of the parenting at the moment. In a few months it will be the other way round and you won't be able to go for a wee in peace without her screaming that she is missing you or following you.

Really, tis totally natural and if you're not jealous, don't worry about it at all.

And it doesn't mean that she doesn't like you - if anything, it means that she likes, loves and trusts you enough to know that you will always be there, no matter what she does

Our DD is doing this at the moment, means I get the really nice long soak in the bath which he used to get

I have been told that girls reach a certain age and beome daddy's girl until they turn 8-9 ish [or start puberty I guess] when they suddenly want mum again.
Mine is 23 months old and is the same [although my dh works away all week and so it's not so obvious]

dd2 is 3 and has grown out of it, so it doesn't mean that it will last till she is 8 or 9 though.

My dd is 22 months & it a complete daddy's girl even though dp works long hours & does not see her that much, as soon as he walks through the doors she runs for him so so excited, she loves being with him, relaxs with him & would pick him over me!

I don't mind as ds used to be like this with me

Just go with it don't get upset, enjoy your time with your dd when you are with her, she will probably change when she gets a bit older but alot of girls are daddys girls, i was

Iknow it's hard and can make you really sad. But I echo the other posters, it is just a phase and probably won't last long.

If you miss her, how about just annoucing you're off to do something interesting, say baking biscuits or something and wait and see if she wants to join in.

Just to show that there's fun stuff to do with you too!

I think that my dcs sometimes get more clingy to dp because they are occasionally less sure how long he'll be around (he works and I'm sahm at mo). So they can ignore me because they know I'm always there!

you think you have it bad - my DD 2.5 adores her daddy sooo much, to the point that she will actively push me away when he is around. I cant even do so much as put on her coat, it is a case of "daddy do dat" and she gets quite upset if he cant. Even during the day when he is out at work she will ask for her daddy if she is upset

ITS A PHASE ITS A PHASE I AM A GOOD MOTHER, ITS A PHASE!!!

LOL, mine is just the same. She was pushing me away the other day - 'Go away Mummy!' and recently 'I want Daddy to put me to bed because I am scared of Mummy.' (SHe was just totally trying it on there, because she's used to people being sympathetic when she says she's scared of things!)

What makes it really unfair is that I am actually better with her - when I'm looking after her everything is calm and happy; when dh does it's punctuated by screaming and meltdowns.

Still, ds prefers me so I suppose it's fair

am a SAHM and my dd 2.6 adores her dad and pays no attention to me when he is around. from the moment he comes in till she goes to bed it is daddy also not too keen on me going along with them at weekend, but they usually have a daddy/daughter day anyway most weekends.

I quite like it actually they have a strong bond

I'll gladly swap your Daddy's girl for my Mummy's Boy.

Oh we have a daddy's girl here too and sometimes it does upset me although I have got used to it. It waxes and wanes but never really goes away.

Like you I'm more concerned that it's not just a preference but something negative about me. I hate being so emotionally vulnerable as a parent!

Dd is nearly 2.5 and has been like this on and off since about 9-12 mo. Sometimes when dh is home it's like I don't exist and dh can find it pretty trying.

Thanks for all these thoughts. I do feel a lot better knowing that it's not that unusual. I'm determined to react better to it and not get upset, it's great that she loves her daddy, and I know she loves me too, just has a different way of showing it!