At what age(s) do children show a preference for one parent over the other? Our daughter did that yesterday and today, breaking daddy's heart. I thought that happens when kids are older.

ETA: I'm talking screaming when she's with Daddy (who is just wonderful with her) but calming down when she's back with Mommy.

My kids have always showed a preference towards me, they will even cry if I pass them over to Dh. I am not sure why that is, it's not like I'm sneaking them candy. I just tell him to make more of an effort to spend time with them rather than unwinding in front of the computer when he gets home :dunno:

I guess it could be because I am into AP and my kids are always with me everywhere I go, I carried them as babies and we co-slept. I'm sure it just a 'phase' and not because they don't like Dh.

Catherine is 19 months and I'd say just in the past two weeks she has shown a distinct preference for daddy.

Camille is a daddy's girl, but she really loves her Nana (who cared for her during the school year as I'm a librarian.)

Paige has alway's prefered her dad, since birth and still does it today. I try not to let it hurt my feelings but most times it's hard.

I guess it could be because I am into AP and my kids are always with me everywhere I go, I carried them as babies and we co-slept. I'm sure it just a 'phase' and not because they don't like Dh.

Same here. But I will say now that Mason is 4½, during the day he wants Daddy to play Lego, action figures, video games etc. but at night he wants me to read him stories. :)

Once when he was 15 months old we had to go away for a week and he stayed with my Mom. When we got back he went right past me to Daddy! :woa: The HORROR!! I chalked it up to him being mad that I abandoned him for a week. :lol:

Oh, and Marcy at this age, Anya is with you constantly, so she's naturally going to prefer you.

Daddy needs to do more diaper changes. That will endear her to him. Yep. That's what he needs to do all right. :nod: :heee:

Alex really never showed any stranger anxiety or parental preference as a baby. Now, as a 2.5yo though.....I've nicknamed him Oedipus. :lol: Paul asks him all the time (just to mess with him) whose boy he is....or he likes better....and he ALWAYS says Mommy. :heee:

My kids both have a strong mommy preference which started very, very young. It totally kills Tom but I think it's pretty normal.

Amanda

If my kids had a choice in who they prefer, hands down...Nana. Mom and Dad who?! :disbelief

Lauren went through a stage where she wanted nothing to do with Dh. I had to start handing her off - and leaving the house. We had to do the same with Kaitlyn - because if either girl can "smell" me (I breastfeed Lauren, and did breastfeed Kaitlyn when she was a baby), they want nothing to do with Dh. But once I leave the house, go for a walk or whatever - they are fine and dandy being entertained by Daddy :)


Now that Kaitlyn is 4yrs old - she is a Daddy's girl... that also stems from the fact that I am very occupied with Lauren... so Dh has taken over doing things with Kaitlyn.

Daddy needs to do more diaper changes. That will endear her to him. Yep. That's what he needs to do all right. :nod: :heee:

Yeah, Beverly, that's it! And umm... if he does her laundry she can sense it and will like him more, right? :awink:

The day after she screamed for a solid hour while I was out of the house (only to calm down instantly when Mommy came home and held her), DH walked into the DC to visit at lunch and she saw him and started crying! Poor guy is taking it personally, and I'm explaining that it's nothing he's done.

Olivia is 110% a daddy's girl. She has always preferred him over me. :( Kaden, on the other hand, prefers mommy over anyone else. :) It's only fair, right? :lol:

My kid go through stages of it. Sometimes it's me, sometimes it's Daddy :dunno: At 4 months, they all prefer Mummy though, especially if they're breastfed. They can smell the milk on you.

My daughter is 6 months old and just recently crys when my inlaws are around, who she see's maybe once or twice a month. Like others have said, give her a little time and she's fine but it's hard to watch her cry when she leaves to spend the weekend with them.