My Little Girl Is Making My Brain Want to Explode :(

There's not much you can do but wait it out. My 27 month-old DD is JUST THE SAME! I remember my son doing the same thing too. Around age 3-4 he suddenly became a Daddy's boy. I'm hoping DD does the same! I really think she will. I find when I need to get something done, if I really focus on her first and spend a good 4-5 mins. playing with her, sometimes I can slip away and get something done, but sometimes not! If you can get her to "help" you to cook by stirring with a wooden spoon in a tupperware bowl, or something like that, sometimes that helps too. The good news is...it WILL pass!~

What you have described sounds like a completely normal child! Absolutely everything you've explained is something my kids have gone through too. They are clingy to me, repeat things over and over (talk non-stop sometimes until I think I'm going start twitching), want me over daddy, and don't have interest in him.

With the clingy, I let them be clingy to me because they outgrow it. It's a phase they go through. BUT when it comes to daddy, there's just times I'm unavailable and he's the only option (as in, if I need a break, then daddy steps in regardless). If they don't want to hug/kiss daddy, we don't make them. We don't make them hug/kiss anyone they don't want to. Again, this part is a phase. Things like it being mommy's seat and stuff like that, if it's not really my seat, I"ll thank them for making sure I had a seat but tell them that it's okay if daddy sits there.

I make sure to be positive with them with daddy and don't force things (other than I WILL take a break when I can if I need it). They aren't meaning to be rude to daddy, so we take it how they mean it. They are still very little at that age and really don't understand. As they've gotten older, they've developed a much stronger bond with their dad. And, the more kids we have, the quicker they seem to bond to their dad and pass that stage. They still like me best for a long time, but he's a close second:-) I take it as a side effect of being a SAHM.

Anyway, not sure any of that helped, but if anything, just know you're daughter is normal!

ADDED: I totally agree with Jo W. Sometimes they get much more difficult when they need more attention. You might want to be sure to break up your money thingys with some play time. I find whenever I have a project of anything, I have a hard time making sure I come back and focus on them as much as I need to. And, the more frustrated I feel, it's often been because I'm not connecting with them enough. On days where I do nothing but interact with them, I feel very patient and in tune. So, it might be a tough combination of needing to get the money stuff done and dealing with her (and being prego!).

What I learned when I went back to school and very little time for anything is they do that when you have ignored them too long. They are attention seeking. If you take a break, play with them, do something, anything to show you care and aren't ignoring them, they go right back to playing and entertaining themselves. Try to ignore it and apparently they can keep it up for hours!

Soon it will be all about Daddy and you will be put on the back burner.
It is a phase. Just when you accept the way she is and adjust, she will
change!!! Don't they keep life interesting?

This won't help you much, but I feel like I could have written this myself. I have an almost 3 year old girl who is SO attached and clingy to me. Usually ignores my husband when he comes home from work until I say "honey, daddy's home" and hardly ever wants to give him hugs or kisses. Like another poster said, we never insist that she hug or kiss him since I know this is a phase that will pass. I also am a SAHM and all day long she is talking to me, with lots of repeating. Even when she is sitting on the floor playing and maybe I'm nursing the baby (i have a 5 month old baby) she is constantly talking to me.. "mommy, i'm going to stand baby hippo on the train tracks"...repeat 5 times until I repeat it back to her verbatim (i actually posted about this a few months back).. all day long. I have been trying to do things to help with her making me repeat back everything to her but I don't know how you can help her stop repeating things in general. I'm sure it is just a phase but a frustrating one. All I can say is you are lucky you have 45 minutes where she entertains herself!! I'm lucky if I can get 10 or 15 minutes until she comes running to get me "Mommy come see what I built", etc. Very hard because I love her so much.. Just saying I totally hear where you are coming from. I'll be keeping an eye on the replies you get. Good luck!!!

Patty's right. It's a phase. One day you'll find that she's Daddy's girl. It really isn't worth worrying about (and your raging hormones probably aren't helping!). I also get what you're saying about the maddening repetition. My kids almost drove me insane doing that. But it will also pass. Pretend it doesn't affect you. Kids can sense weaknesses and will go for the jugular!

Phase. Hopefully daddy's feelings aren't hurt, and he should go scoop her up and give HER kisses.

I know this may so a bit cruel but Dad needs to spend some time ignoring her when he gets home, a small peck & a, "Hi, Sweetheart" & then find other things to do, not with her, a few days of this & she will more than likely be vying for his attention...she wants yours more cuz' regardless of what you think she knows the baby is coming soon, she isn't quite sure of what that means, what will happen when it's time for the baby to, 'come out', will you be OK? Will you be gone? What will happen to your tummy?

Then, there is the issue of how busy you are and somewhat frustrated, the repeating is just a way to get you to speak to her & only her, just reassurance that you are paying attention to her, try talking to her about something else thus distracting her & then speak to your DH and then he can include her in his answer to you thus teaching her the give & take of conversation.

Like you said she is SMART she knows all the right buttons, at least she thinks she does in 2 1/2 yr. old terms.

Hope this helps. Congrats on the newbie to the family!

I think this is very common for little girls. It sure has been that way in my family for me and my sisters and our girls. They, too, all have wonderful daddies who have them wrapped around their fingers. It's a phase but just continue to encourage her to love on daddy with you because she might understand that it hurts his feelings. Just also encourage him to be patient too.

You are not a bad mom! It is just a phase for her. She is trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she is not the center of attention anymore and she doesn't quite know how to do that. Also, it might be a good idea that she and dad go camping one night (or do something just the two of them). This may help.

You are not a bad mom. You're pregnant and tired. I agree that your daughter is in a phase which will pass. It will help if you and your husband can basically ignore her comments about him. He should take over even when she's protesting. Try not to get hurt feelings. At 2 1/2 she doesn't have the brain maturity to learn about hurting peoples' feelings. She is just expressing what she's thinking at the time. I suggest she is having a tough time transitioning between having just you at home and then her Dad joining you. It's a phase and will pass. It may help to have a transition ritual during which you pass the responsibility over to Dad. You could make it actual. Pick her up and hand her to her Dad while saying it's Daddy's time now. I need to get back to work. And then have them go to a different room.

If you allow her to dictate who's with her then this adds to her sense of insecurity. Mommy and Daddy need to act calm and confident that they know best and have Daddy still sit beside her. He can give her a hug and say something silly.

I also agree that this may be an indication that she does need attention more often during the day. Try taking short breaks and interact with her. She may be reacting to the change in routine that starting a business has caused.

It might help to have a pre-teen from the neighborhood come in to give her focused attention so that you can work without interruptions. My daughter had 2 neighborhood girls, 10 and 11, who loved to spend time with my granddaughter at that age. They needed some coaching on how to deal with the toddlers drive for independence.

This too will pass. Try to find a way to get some time for yourself doing nice things for yourself. This will help to build up your reserve.

I remember my friend's daughter did that same thing with repeating things over and over and over and over! I would watch her sometimes and honestly it was maddening. I don't know how her mom coped, haha! Anyway, she eventually outgrew it. I think for the repeating it's just a developmental thing and they outgrow it. Sorry! I am not sure what to tell you about the mean to daddy thing. Maybe you'll get some good advice from others.