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DD is a mummies girl and wants me to do activities with her all the time, DH is feeling left out. Help

5 replies

gembobs · 24/06/2010 19:58

DD is just about turn 3yo and she is a mummies girl and wants me to do every activity with her. If she throws a temper tantrum she will only calm down for me and will seek me out for comfort. I try my hardest to get her to go to her dad to do stuff and seek comfort but she refuses point blank and will get more cross that her dad is doing stuff for her. I will give you a few examples today i wanted her to put suncream on she threw a temper tantrum, i had already put suncream on her little brother and was ready to take him outside so i took him outside and left DH to deal with DD 20 minutes later i came back in to find her really upset and DH bewidered she immediately came to me and calmed down straight away while having a cuddle, a little later while DS was asleep we was in the garden playing i had already been playing with DD for 30 minutes and i let my DH have chance to play with her which was agame of football so said to DD daddy play ball with you she picked the ball up from daddies feet and said "no mummy". Although i like her being a mummies girl i feel sorry for her dad as he doesn't get a chance to spend time with her.

My DD is currently in foster care and we only get 3 hours 1 day a week with her and in them 3 hours it is me she spends most of the time with.

What can i do to get her to play with her dad more and for me to play with my 1yo DS for more than 20 minutes, i miss my son and my DH misses his DD.

OP posts:
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gembobs · 24/06/2010 22:10

Really do need some help on this, pls.

OP posts:
nanny1 · 25/06/2010 00:08

you say you only get such a short span of time with yor DD each week.

instead of you trying to spend time with your DS, and your DH spending time with DD...can you try to anipulate activities so that you're spending time as a 4.

So, with the ball game for example, instead of trying to get her to play just with DH, say that both you AND DH will play with her. course, chances are she won't be thrilled, and probably will try to exclude DH. but then its on you - as the 'common ground' as it were - to bring DH back in to it. Pass the ball to him, keep him involved, get him passing it to her....get DS involved too.

You could always try planning a few 'family' activities for these times, too. something which might need 4 jobs doing... planting a little vegetable patch, maybe? if she sees that everybody has an important role, DH and DS will start to become less redundant in her mind. maybe DH can be in charge of digging, DS might be clearing the soil, you might be planting the seeds, and DH can be 'chief waterer'. With time, she should get more used to DH, and more comfortable with leaving you. you can then start to try and pair off, but still very much with a 'family' stance... maybe a sports day. So that all are involved, once again. you could play children vs grown ups, or, as things progress, mummy and DS vs Daddy and DH.

The idea is that she gets used to DH through activities which involve both of you. She has the safety net of Mummy, and isnt 'fobbed off' to daddy (not saying she is, thats just how she will see it.) But with you working to involve DH in what you are doing with her, she is forced to acknowledge him as a part of something - even better if you can emphasise to her that he was an important part (like with the planting.... "it couldn't have happened if daddy hadn't helped us dig, DS hadn't helped us clear soil...etc"

Really feel for you, and hope this helps.

It can be so hard to hear a child cry for you. And when you are what they want, it's even harder to say no. But cuddling her when shes crying for you (even if it's been 20 mins) just shows her that, eventually, it will give her what she wants. the crying is working, hence she's persevering. Instead of cddling her, perhaps try distracting her. suggest baking a cake (as a family!). if she refuses, get on and do it anyway, with DS and DH. She will see that she's missing out, and the crying didn't work this time...

let me know if you think you can use any of this, and also how you get on.

good luck, and persevere!

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 25/06/2010 12:07

I think nanny has some good suggestions for you. I don't know a gret deal about how to spread oneself across two DCs (I have an only) so don't really have any advice, but bumping for you. It must be very hard.

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nanny1 · 25/06/2010 23:13

forgot to say... if the cake baking idea... it may have come across that i was sayin carry on, even if it means excludingher. though this may have to happen, try making her feel like her input would be important. maybe you can ask her to be chief 'icer'. say the cake won't be the same without her there to ice it...

if she doesnt involve herself first time, persevere!

if she ses she cant pull the strings anymore... well: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

nanny1 · 25/06/2010 23:16

sorry for all the grammar errors... its late

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