Comments on: Go Away, Mama!

By: Cherie

Cherie — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 02:27:25 +0000

I love this post! I am tearing up,too. This is timely for me. Just a few days ago, I made up a song for my 2.5 year old daughter: I love you when you’re happy, I love you when you’re sad, I love you when you’re silly and I love you when your mad. I love you all the time, I love you all the time, Mommy and Daddy love you all the time.

By: Nimitha

Nimitha — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 18:25:29 +0000

This article made me cry though I have not faced such a situation. very sweet and touching.tfs

By: Natalia

Natalia — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 16:59:50 +0000

I actually wept reading this. My oldest daughter started her ‘papa phase’ long before I got pregnant with my second daughter.
I guess she saw how much I was hurt the first time she ‘rejected’ me and she kept doing it in different ways until I became strong enough to see through her behavior. Then I saw how much of me as a little girl was activated when felt rejected, and I guess I let my child without an adult to depend on…
Once I started replying how much I loved her, and started feeling that real love stronger than my primitive rejected self, I guess we started to bond in a more complex way, and I could see her relaxing… As she was saying ‘my mom can take this, she won’t be destroyed by me’
I am so grateful she is my daughter and I often think how different I would be if we haven’t met.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:29:20 +0000

In reply to SC. I also cried reading it. I have a demanding job, and my husband drops our toddler off at day care and picks her up. Since he stayed home with our baby the first year of her life, she has a definitely preference for him lately. And the temptation to take it personally has been great. But I too have been trying this strategy of being "unruffled" and it is working!

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 17 May 2014 06:04:13 +0000

My 2.5 year old son has always demonstrated a preference for his father. I was sad about it for a while, but decided not to make an issue of it and just let it be. The title of this post caught my attention immediately, because they are words I hear from my son often, especially when his father is home.
I was putting my son to bed one day, and after our usual routine of books and songs, I remembered this post. I started saying, “I love you as much as all the stars in the sky, I love you to the moon and back again, I love you always…and no matter what.” I continued with “Even when you’re grumpy… I still love you! Even when you say ‘Go away, Mom!’ I still love you…” etc. He kept saying, “More! Another one! I want more stories!” and smiled every time I said “I still love you.”
He’s asked for me to do that every night since. One night he climbed into my lap, put his head on my chest and just lay there for a while, which is very unusual for him. Then he suddenly took my face, looked me in the eyes and said very seriously, “I love you Mama.” I sat there and held on to him, tears silently streaming down my face as he drifted off to sleep. It was the sweetest moment. And though he still prefers his father for certain things, our relationship has improved tremendously.

By: Leah Jervis

Leah Jervis — Sun, 11 May 2014 22:34:29 +0000

This is my 3.5yo middle child to a tee! Made me cry. It looks like I need to have a conversation with her….

By: rachel

rachel — Tue, 06 May 2014 17:32:59 +0000

I do this with my daughter quite often.. reassuring her that despite whatever behavior or “naughty” thing she is doing i still love her. I will tell her i don’t like it when you throw things or spit water or ignore mommy ect,…but I still love you. she has recently started saying no you don’t you don’t love me anymore. i just say no, mommy loves you very much I just don’t like..and I say whatever it is she was doing..but she just keeps saying over and over that no I don’t love her anymore and that if I don’t like what she’s doing that I don’t love her. Am I doing this wrong by telling her that Idon’t like whatever behavior it is that she’s doing?? I always reassure her that I will always love her and It doesn’t matter what she does I love her but her doubt concerns me…

By: Shabnam

Shabnam — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 09:09:14 +0000

Read ‘Mama Do You Love Me?’ it says it all..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mama-Do-You-Love-ME/dp/0811821315

By: kelly

kelly — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:50:29 +0000

wow. so powerful. tears in my eyes and such a great lesson learned! thank you so much for sharing

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 07:31:33 +0000

We are experiencing something similar with our two y/o daughter. For the past few months she has wanted me to do everything from getting her up in morning to bathing and bed. It’s exhausting for me and hurtful and alienating for him. We r not sure how to deal with it. Should I just say ‘no daddy’s going to do it’ and ride out the tantrum or go away for a few days so there’s no other option? He tries to spend quality one on one time with her at weekends and would like to bath her at night.