I miss you so much

Any ideas for a five year old girl who sticks to me when not in school (full day K) because she says she misses me so much? I read in a magazine about drawing a heart on her hand so when she misses me in school she can look at it. Anything else or just another one of those phases?

BTW, she goes to school just fine, no tears or anything, it is just in the evening I feel like the whole newborn phase when you just want to have no one touch you because you are always being touched. :gah:

Thanks

 

What about doing the Kissing Hand with her?

 

Thanks, Bex.

 

My daughter went through something similar around that age (actually, from about 3/4 until 6/7!). I did several things to help the situation. First, I validated her feelings. I found that when I tried telling her she was just fine, that she's not gone that long, etc, it did no good. Instead, I actually stopped what I was doing and sat down on the couch with her and just snuggled with her and talked about her day (or just sat and snuggled). We'd do that for about 10 minutes. Another thing I did was gave her two pictures of me to take with her to school. She kept one in her backpack and the other in her pencil box. And lastly, I did actually use a sharpy and drew a red heart in the palm of her hand. I actually do this every year on the first day of school after reading The Kissing Hand. (I do this with my boys as well.)

She's in 2nd grade now (and 8 years old), and hasn't been clingy with me at all this school year. One of my boys went through a much shorter period like this as well and I did the same thing with him.

 

My mom talks about how the kids need to "refuel" at night with their parents.

It was a lot worse at the beginning of the school year - when they were adjusting to K. I sort of think of like I am known to dump at my husband at night - I use up all my "being good" energy at work and when I come home I have nothing left.

I think it's the same with the kids, they hold it together at school all day and then when they come home they need support.