Issue Of The Week: Trying To Cope With A Clingy Baby

E.M is 17 months old now, and although she's developed many new skills which allow her to be independent of me, there's still one niggling issue, she's so clingy.

When Daddy is at work she is never satisfied, I can't put her on the floor to play, let alone down for a nap! She will whinge, whine and more often than not, go into crocodile tears until I pick her up again. I'm getting really frustrated with it now because when Daddy isn't here, it makes the days drag on and on...having to be stern with her all the time is wearing me out. I can't always carry her, I have things to do. Now, i've done some research on some parenting sites, searching clingy baby. And they all seem to say the same thing, put baby down next to you to play, then a bit further in the same room, then leave the room completely etc. I've tried this but she wont progress on from the first stage, even if I am right next to her doing something, she will still climb all over me asking to be picked up. Hopefully by this time next week I will have found a new technique to try...