I feel like my 3 Yr old son prefers to be with his dad

[Upkerry]

I am Co parenting with my 3yr old sons father. He has him at the weekends for one night on Saturday and brings him back to me late Sunday afternoon.
My son gets very upset when he's dropped back to me. He clings to his dad and I feel he isn't really pleased to be returned to me. His dad left me when I was 6 months pregnant so has never lived with us as a family so this arrangement is my sons norm. Does anyone have a similar experience of their child preferring to be with their father? Is it a phase or should I be concerned?

Its usually a phase, but, do you ever get a weekend or does he associate you with nursery daily grind etc etc and dad with the fun stuff?

Yes I'm beginning to think that could be it. I'm the Mon to Fri parent who takes him to nursery and dad then is the fun guy who doses him with sweets and chocolates and has different rules to me. Communication skills with father is very bad so this hasn't helped but I have tried to ask him to cut down on the treats and screen time in bed but he doesn't change.

Tell him you would like some weekend time with him ask if he could collect Sunday and return Tuesday instead so at least the school knows he has an active and involved father and you get to do the fun stuff occasionally

Just once or twice a month because its not really fair your the drudge and he is the Disney dad

They often go through a phase of preferring one parent over the other at this age but this seems more like he is the fun weekend parent and you are the everyday routine parent. Also, your son isn't actually getting a whole lot of time with him so he clings.

It isn't fair that you never get a weekend with your son. It should be every second weekend and he could see your son during the week too. Does he pay half of the nursery costs or is that considered your problem?

Agree you should have him some weekends so he doesn’t always get to be Disney dad! Xo