Aless just turned 18 months, and I have to admit she is attached to me at the hip. It’s like having an overexcited growth with 16 arms hanging from the side of your body. Now this wouldn’t be a problem if she didn’t feel it necessary to get upset 8 out of the 10 times I try to put her down and walk away. The times I do put her down and she is content typically involve being on the floor in front of Dora or SpongeBob or squarely in eyesight of her brother, Cade. She has an affinity for this kid. Just look:
I didn’t have the flexibility of working from home when I had my first two, Keith and Adam. They were quickly whisked off to daycare and, as we all know, basically had to fight for themselves and become independent little people. Caden was a different story. I was working from home by then and, like Aless, he was also a little clingmaster – the difference being Caden didn’t mind so much when I put him down into his activity center, onto the floor and so on. Aless simply does not like being out of my arms.
Yes, I know this is all my fault and that I brought it upon myself – blah blah blah. I get it. But I’m all about nourishing a child with love and attention to build a stronger bond and level of trust. I don’t believe in letting a kid “cry it out.” Not my style.
What I’m hoping is that her hitting some new milestones and getting out of the house more alone with daddy will help her to feel comfortable out of my arms. Sort of like a new found independence! If not, we’ll keep encouraging her with small steps – not trust busting, mind-boggling voo doo methods.
What about you? Are you raising a clingmaster?
