Child prefers the other parent
I'm a mom of a 2 year old daughter. As the title implies, she prefers her dad over me, and it's breaking me slowly.
I don't have any people with young children in my life,
who I can ask about this. I've heard from many people that it's normal and it sometimes switches from parent to parent.
At the moment, if something is not going her way, it can trigger a meltdown from her. This includes if I do something, what her dad was "supposed" to do. Like taking off her bib after eating. Putting on her clothes before going outside. Wanting to change her diaper. It occurs multiple times a day, everyday. Her dad handles every bedtime, generelly he does so much, that I feel like the lazy parent that leaves all to her partner.
I've talked with him about this and he seems to have no problem with it.
We both prefer her not having a meltdown, but I'm unsure if this is the right way. I want to have a good relationship with my daughter. She doesn't calm down, in this moments when her dad is available and I'm the one trying to comfort her. I feel like, forcing her to deal with me in this moments, doesn't improve this problem.
I'm jealous of the treatment her dad gets from her, that I don't receive. Like she putting her head in his lap, when he reads to her.
At the moment her dad is away at a worktrip for a few days and she has to deal with me. It's fine, but in my head the thought of "she wants her dad more than me" and "he would get more affection than me" are constantly present. I've never been a popular person and getting rejected like this from your own child, stings especially hard.
I don't want to miss out on connecting with my daughter, but I notice, that I sometimes pull back from family moments, because I can't handle the rejection that can happen anytime. Like I stay longer at the toilet, instead of spending time with them both, when they are playng. Has someone advice for me how I should handle these situations?