very clingy / attached 7 month old

EMLDF · January 2016

So I don't normally post here.... hoping someone can help. I have a 2.5 year old daughter and 7 month old daughter. I stay home with them and nurse / cosleep with the baby. She is incredibly attached to me which I know is a healthy sign. My older daughter was attached too but not nearly so clingy. I can barely get anything done around the house bc the baby rarely will "let" me put her down. Even if she's content to crawl around the kitchen (she's been very early on all milestones), she will be at my feet the whole time, standing up on the dishwasher door if its open for example or crawling up my leg. It makes it nearly impossible to get anything done around the house and I'm so stressed by the ever lengthening list of to do's. I wear her when we are out but I honestly have no desire to start wearing her around the house for hours to get things done. Any of course, she has plenty of toys and a safe enclosed space. When I'm not around its not an issue. If she is, for example, in the living room with my husband playing by herself, and I walk in the room, she bursts into tears until I pick her up.
And yes, its not 100% of the time, but often enough to make me crazy and add a ton of stress. Anyone have tips to get her to play by herself for longer stretches? Or at least help me cope with my high maintenance baby?

dufferoo · January 2016

Ok this is probably not the advice you are looking for, but have you considered just not trying to accomplish so much every day? Caring for two young kids is A LOT of work; I can't imagine trying to pile on hours of housework at the same time! Let the floor go unvacuumed, make double recipes of dinner so you only have to cook every other night, live out of the clean laundry basket once in awhile rather than folding it all nicely, etc. Yeah, you'll feel less accomplished, and yeah it kinda sucks to compromise on some of these things, but at the end of the day, your kids' high needs phase is temporary, and when it's over, you can start worrying more about chores.

Bigboobsmcgee · January 2016

dufferoo said:

Ok this is probably not the advice you are looking for, but have you considered just not trying to accomplish so much every day? Caring for two young kids is A LOT of work; I can't imagine trying to pile on hours of housework at the same time! Let the floor go unvacuumed, make double recipes of dinner so you only have to cook every other night, live out of the clean laundry basket once in awhile rather than folding it all nicely, etc. Yeah, you'll feel less accomplished, and yeah it kinda sucks to compromise on some of these things, but at the end of the day, your kids' high needs phase is temporary, and when it's over, you can start worrying more about chores.

Pretty good advice actually.

My daughter isn't "high needs" exactly (whatever that actually means!) but she needs to be around me every moment she can see me. I work all day but in the evenings, besides cooking dinner, I don't do anything until the kids are in bed. I don't clean, I don't prep for the next day, nothing. It's easier to just wait and devote my time to the kids while I'm home with them.

wintersong · January 2016

I agree with the pps.

You might want to check out Janet Lansbury's blog, elevating childcare. I have really found it inspiring.

SLGILL1978 · January 2016

:-(
I would just wear her around the house. She needs you. She is also probably going separation anxiety. She sounds like a normal baby and not a "high needs" or "clingly".

Knottie1442268460 · January 2016

My toddler still likes to be worn sometimes to help cook. Independent play milestone is 18ish months. She's not that far ahead!

very clingy / attached 7 month old

Re: very clingy / attached 7 month old

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