My toddler has 'favourite' people and it's hard to be the rejected person.

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

He's 20mths old and his favourite people are me, my mother and my father-in-law. He rejects his dad, my father and my mother-in-law if his favourite people are around. Whilst it doesn't bother me when he favours my FIL or my mother over me as I know it's me he loves best and will keep coming back to me for reassurance every so often, or if he's hurt it's me he wants, it does bother me that his dad is so low in the pecking order and I feel his hurt.

Is there anything I can do, or his dad, that will improve things? Is this just a toddler thing and will is favourite people change as he gets older? Why is it like this?

Its a toddler thing. He'll switch allegiance to your DH one day and it will be you feeling left out!

He's probably still a bit young, but perhaps you could gradually introduce some father and son activity to help bond them. Dad always does bath, reads the stories, plays in the park on Saturday am.

My ds was very mummy-crazy until dc2 was born and then dh became his favourite person. Mostly because they do a lot more together - baths, storytime, mornings, swimming, outdoor activities. Now, some days I'm the favoured one, on other days it's dh. And increasingly the new baby.

Initially I was a bit hurt when I was no longer the centre of his world, but they're outwardly fickle creatures and inwardly very constant. I wouldn't worry, but perhaps encourage your dh to do more things with him.

That's good to know, thanks. I've have ahd a chat with DP and we think it will be a good idea for the two of them to have some quality time every saturday, sans mam so that they can bond.

Thinking about it, I do everything with DS, so he hasn't had any good reason to bond with his daddy so if I take a step back then hopefully it could be the start of a beautiful relationship.

I just hope I don't regret this and become the 'reject' parent!

Thanks everyone!