I have a wonderful 20 month old little boy. he is very independent and always has been. I have gone through periods, off and on, of feeling disconnected from him all his life. there have always been days where i feel like he doesn't want to have anything to do with me, but they pass and then i feel fine again. but sooner or later it happens again. like most kids, he has a different relationship with daddy, but lately he prefers him over me. I mainly feel it at night when it's bedtime. we have always had the same nightime routine and have always put him to bed together. for the past few months, he WILL NOT let me put him to bed. DADDY has to hold him, and if i reach for him, he cries and reaches for daddy. it just breaks my heart! i keep waiting for it to pass but it isn't.he DOES show me affection, but i feel like those moments are very few and fleeting. it just kills me that i feel this way.

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Well obviously he has a vendetta against you...or maybe he a fickle 20 month old little boy. I can only imagine how much your going to whine when he turns into a snot nosed brat of a teenager.

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I always say you can't miss someone if they're never gone. If dad works and you stay home, that explains it right there. My son loves his dad, but when he is hurting or hungry he calls for his momma. He doesn't have his fathers constant attention, and he wants it. That's normal.

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It depends how much time you spend with your child, and how much you give to them. (Usually materially). Try to spend as many hours of the day with him as you can, and try to feed him/change him more often or equal to your husband. Hope you don't feel ignored, this happens a lot.

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Kids have different favorites its usually who shows them the most attention or who is the bigger push over when it come to punishment. The only thing you can do is wait till he gets older.

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I know that must be very hard for you, but my toddler has gone through the same thing. I think every child just favors one parent now and then and I assure you that this is just a phase. Little boys will always love their mommy's....dont worry!

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If he spends the majority of his waking hours with you it could be he just wants a change of pace. Also, he's a boy. His father is a larger version of himself. He's most likely fascinated beyond belief.

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It's just a "Daddy" phase! He'll switch back and forth between the two of you many times. Take this time to enjoy yourself! Go light some candles in your bathroom and take a relaxing bath, wash your hair and shave your legs all at the SAME TIME! Before you know it, it will be over and he'll want your arms to wisk him off to bed and read him a story "just one more time". Best wishes!

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Don't worry about it. That's pretty normal. According to psychology, kids go through different stages in their life where they look up to different paternal authority figures. I had a friend that had a kid with his girlfriend and the little boy would do nothing but scream around his mommy and be a little pest, and around his dad he would be good and all happy.. The female usually assumes responsibility as the care-taker, the "boss," and the discipliner.. so of course the baby is going to show more affection to the person not doing the dirty work.. Maybe you can get your husband to partake in those activities and your baby will not discriminate. If that doesn't work, it's psychology.. Read up on Sigmund Freud, he explains this phenomenon.

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If you're home all day and your husband works...I would imagine this is the cause. I stay home with our son, he is farly affectionate towards me during the day, wants to be read to a lot, etc. However, once Daddy comes home, his little face lights up and I literally disappear! My husband can get him laughing like you wouldn't believe. Try not to feel bad about it. He is just trying to get the most out of the time he gets to share with his daddy

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i think soemtime little boys just prefer to be with dady dont take it personally please my little boy is smae age and does same thing sometimes does he say mama if so b happy bout that my child has a speech delay and can only say dada he said mama at a year but unfortunately lost it that is what will break ur heart just keep telling him u love him too and everything should be ok best of luck

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He will go through periods of wanting each of you only at different times. It is perfectly normal. But, are you a stay at home mom, because if you are then it is most likely that he doesn't get a chance to miss you like he does dad if dad is gone working during the day. If not, then I would wait it out and not get offended. It will pass and there will soon be a phase he is wanting only mommy to put him to bed. Instead be glad that he is bonding enough with daddy to prefer him at times. Nothing to be heartbroken over. He loves you ... you're his mommy. .... oh also at 20 months, he is probably also figuring out that dad is a boy like he is, this could have triggered the preference.

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Hi Mama... First of all, here are some (((((hugs))))). You know, they say being a parent is the hardest job, and now you know it's true! One thing I can tell you is that your son's independence is a tribute to your parenting! If he wasn't secure in your love for him, he would not want to venture off in his own way--he'd want to cling. It's also normal for kids to want their dads especially if they are with their moms a lot of the time anyway. For sure kids are wired to love their parents. Something you can experiment with is working on the relationship with your son INSIDE of you. One thing you can do is imagine you are both connected soul to soul in a beautiful way. Create an image in your own heart and mind that will bring peace and comfort to you. It's really hard when you put so much energy into taking care of a little one and then it seems like they're rejecting you. But believe me, he's not rejecting you. He's secure about you, he's attached to you, and he loves you. And he's also forging a relationship with his dad. My kids are older and one thing I've learned is that they are the crankiest around the people they feel the safest with. (We're the same way!)Hang in there, you're a good mom. Keep loving all of you up and keep the atmosphere in your home full of love and beauty.More (((((hugs)))))!

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