What is up with that? On and off for weeks now, the kid has been melting down if it's not Mommy who:
- gives her a bath
- puts her to bed
- opens the applesauce
- changes the channel
- helps build a block tower
- reads a book
- does any damn thing that involves the kid.
Since she was sick a couple of weeks ago (and, in fact, right now, at my in-laws', which is why I'm writing this), if the kid decided she wanted Mommy and Mommy didn't appear instantly, she would start the meltdown. "Where's Mommy?" "In the bathroom." Where's Mommy????" "In the kitchen." "Where's MOMMY????" "On the other side of the window, right there." Where's Mommy!??!!" Like that.
So far, I try to stay focused on helping my wife, distracting the kid long enough for her to go to the bathroom, or so that she can sleep in a little, but at some point, a guy's gotta wonder what's up. And then he's likely to post about it on his blog.
Funny, I am having the same problem with my one year old girl. I stay home with her full time and now she is running from me when i have to change her diaper or feed her or she calls out mom when I have to put her down for nap...uggg its getting worse and now she is kind of affraid of all guys not just me, my dad, my friend, etc...
driving me crazy and is exausting me..
Brad,
the guy who wanted answers on the pampers diapers:)
My son is now 2.9, and I've stayed at home with him since maternity leave ended for my wife. He has gone through several (brief) periods of doing this, but it always seemed like he just wanted to know that he could have access to mom if he wanted it. We went with the flow, and he seemed to realize all was still ok with the world and would go back to letting me do stuff.
I'm not sure how old your kid is, but kids often go through a separation anxiety phase where they get really attached to one or the other of their parents. It's a drag for both parents, one feels like they're old lunch meat and the other feels like they have a toddler grafted to them. A screaming toddler.
I have two children and each of us have gotten the treatment; one kid got imprinted on one of us during this phase and the other on the other of us. It lasted a couple of months but was only really intense for a couple of weeks. Sometimes it would flare up if we had a new babysitter or a change of routine. Like Brad says, it often comes with a more generalized anxiety about visitors to the home.
Welcome to my world.
My fav is when she is in the bathroom... and he basically kicks in the door