He Likes Daddy Better

Are you a stay at home mom?
Does daddy work outside the home?
It is pretty typical for a child to go through phases of liking one parent more than the other.
And it is really normal for a kid to favor a parent s/he doesn't see as often.

It will change, give it time.

Is he with you all day? I was with my boys all the time, so doing things with daddy was a special treat for them.

Toddlers do this! It's not that your son doesn't love you. It's just that Daddy is a special star right now. Don't allow your feelings to be hurt. Instead, think about how great this is for your husband. This is the time for them to bond more closely. You aren't really voted off the island. Stay cool and happy about it, and sooner or later your son will be saying, "Well, Mama is great, too."

Google child development and prefering one parent - it's normal. It's your job as the adult to not take it personally. It's a cycle. Enjoy it because it's nice to get a break. Be glad that your husband is the kind of guy that WANTS to spend time with his child.

cute-but not true-he is just identifying with him because he is a male. You will be amazed at how much your little son is going to love you, and already does!

It is just amazing the number of new members we keep getting from Tempe Arizona. Is it a big city?

They even type the same. Amazing how standardized the education system seems to be.

Relax!
They go back and forth all the time.
It's totally normal.
Take advantage of when you are in the less favored parental position and leave them to themselves for a bit and you take a long relaxing bath.
The pendulum will swing back again and keep on oscillating between you and Hubby.

Hello, M.! Welcome to mamapedia!

This is normal and typical. Don't be jealous! it's OKAY!!

If you are a SAHM, it's normal because he is around you all day and when Daddy comes home - it's PLAY Time...

he's 3 years old. Daddy SHOULD NOT be feeding him. He should be doing that on his own. I would stop that practice right now, today.

Plan some time at a park - if you are Tempe - I'm sure it's hot - so maybe a pool or fountain he can run in? If you have a smooth backyard? Maybe a slip and slide?

It's OKAY. Don't freak out. He still loves you.

Like the others are saying, it goes back and forth. You'll be his favorite at times too. Just not right now probably. Don't be jealous. Think positive and be happy and .... wait your turn.

This is a normal, natural, healthy phase. Chances are, your son has just discovered he's a boy, so he's latching on to the male role model in his life.

Just be loving and patient, and things will equalize in time.

One slight possibility is that some couples develop this dynamic where the mom is the disciplinarian and the dad is the Disneyland dad. Dad gets all the fun of parenting, and mom does all the heavy lifting. If that rings a bell for you, sit down and have a talk with your husband, or consider couples counseling. It's not fair.

But otherwise, just know it's normal and wait it out. Count yourself lucky that your son has two loving parents, to the point where you're competing for his affection.

The way you feel now is kind of how your husband (and many dads) felt when the kids were infants. It's hard when kids shift their allegiances but it's so normal for them to do that. Sometimes it has to do with who's around more (the one gone is more attractive when he/she gets home), and sometimes it's the one who is more familiar who's more popular.

He likes you. He loves you. He's going through a phase. Don't guilt-trip him or change what you do or how you act. Be an awesome family. Endorse his special time with his dad. Be supportive. Say stuff like, "Daddy does such a good job feeding you, doesn't he? I love so many things about Daddy and I see that you do too." Be sure Daddy says great things about you too. It helps kids learn that saying loving and supportive things is what families do.

Remember that your child will also have periods of being jealous of the time you spend with your husband without him. So there are lots of experiences that 2 out of the 3 of you will have over the years.

Just try to go with the flow - it's a phase. But also you especially want to encourage this relationship because experts say the most important role model for a child is someone of the same gender. So for sons, it's the dad or a grandfather or an uncle or a close friend. And be glad you chose such a great man for the father of your child!

A couple of days ago there was a question here about a mom whose daughter wanted nothing to do with daddy, at all.

Both behaviors can be normal. I don't know who spends more time with him, if you both work or what, that could play a factor. Fact is, they're both males, he feels the similarity and daddy's his role model. Make time for just you and your son, away from daddy, mommy/son dates, but don't resent the time he spends with him or the connection he feels with him. No matter what, he loves you both, it's not a competition. Down the road he'll want and need mom.

know that these things go in phases. Most of us have experienced the receiving and rejecting end of these preferences. I would love to tell you how well I handled it when my oldest first started rejecting me for her daddy, but alas, I was running crying to the garage in jealous fits. It was very unlike me, so much so that my husband called my mother he was so baffled at how to handle me. After all I was the MOTHER. I sacrificed my career, I woke up in the night, I labored for 24 hours, pushed for two and still had a c-section, I fed her, dressed her, wiped her butt... why would she choose dad? Why??
I wish the older, wiser, more experienced me could have consoled the baffled confounded me. I was unable to trust in the general consensus on this site that parental preferences go in phases, but, the tables did turn, and now I know not to take it personally when they go into daddy phase. And though you won't be able to do this, my advice to you would be take advantage of this phase to get a little break and let dad pick up some slack for a while. His preference for mommy is coming.

http://preschooler.thebump.com/parental-preference-toddle...

my daughter is the same with her dad. she's 2.5 My son went through the same phase around that age. For me, I think it's because I stay home and my husband works, so they are with me ALL day and only see my husband for a bit in the morning and again in the evenings. They want as much time with him as they can possibly have.

Tonight my daughter cried because I wanted to change her diaper and she only wanted her dad to do it. He was cooking, so I couldn't get out of it (though I DID get out of making dinner, so it's all good, right??) :D

Don't worry before you know it, it will only be you he wants. Then you will be wishing he would want Daddy just for a bit lol. Perfectly normal.

That's pretty typical at that age. My 2.5 year old is going through that right now. My poor husband was like the black sheep when we just went to Disneyland. My girls (6 and 2.5) kept fighting over who would ride with me.

If it helps, think of the flip side of it. I love by girls BUT it gets exhausting with my 2.5 year old because I don't get a break. If my husband does try to help or do something with her, she throws a fit and in the end I end up doing whatever it was anyways. Thankfully, I work so I get a break then and those are usually the days when she suffers less from the "mommy do its" than on days when I work at home with them and my husband is on shift.

I say enjoy the break and the alone time. Read a book or craft something! Oh what I wouldn't give to take a shower with no one following me into my room.... :)