Need advice please - very clingy toddler and got worse

[tiredmama170]

My almost 2 year old has suddenly become extremely clingy, she has always been a mummy’s girl but it’s really got worse ever since DH took her away for two nights to meet his family last week, which they had a lovely time. I couldn’t go as was working.

since then my DD now follows me absolutely everywhere, even to the toilet and cries if she’s not with me. Screams if DH holds her and screams for me. DH tries to get her to go to him and she says no. She climbs all over me all the time and wants holding and it’s lovely but it’s constant. I can’t do anything. I play with her and take her out etc but she gets distressed if I’m not right next to her.

now she won’t even go in her cot, she wants to go in our bed and I have to lay with her until she sleeps! Before she went away she’d happily go in her cot and put herself to sleep and now she won’t have it. And she’s hysterical if I try put her in the cot.
it’s been a week and I’m finding this very hard as I can’t have one minute to myself otherwise she gets v upset. I feel bad for DH as she just won’t go to him at all.

any advice or tips please?

Make sure you never sneak out without saying bye. When you do go out, give her info she can process e.g. "I'm going to the toilet. I'll be back once you've read that story with daddy" rather than back in a few mins or this afternoon. And make sure you do come back when you say you will. She just needs to rebuild her trust that you're not going to vanish.

Give it time. She probably doesn't understand why you weren't there and needs reassurance. It'll probably pass in another week or two. I know it's tough in the meantime.

I had to leave one of my twins at home when he was one to be in hospital with his brother. It was maybe two weeks before things were back to normal, I imagine with with slightly older child it could take a bit longer with an older child.

Could me not going with her and DH have affected her then? I didn’t think it would as she was with DH and seemed perfectly happy. I’m a FTM so still learning all the time!

good idea to say goodbye/being clear about when I’m coming back if leaving the room, I’ll try that.

Definitely. A weekend is a long time at that age. But she'll settle again 😊