Do Your DCKS Follow You Around Everywhere?

[Soccermom]

I have two 4 year old DCGS and one 2 year old DCG who follow me everywhere I go! They have all been here for over 4 months so should be totally comfortable with my home and set up by now.

I can't leave the room for 2 minutes without one of them following me or finding me to ask what I am doing.

This is the biggest challenge that I have right now. I tell them to "Go play please" a million times but 10 minutes later they are right back at it.

I love my daycare kids but don't want to be their best friend. I also don't want to have to be entertaining them for 10 hours a day.

Does anyone else have this issue and if so, what do you do about it?

[cheerfuldom]

yes. I find this the norm for kids that I get later in life. the older the kid, the worse it is. I had a four year old for about 6 months and she never moved past it.....horrible self help skills and independent play, she would just follow me and stare and ask questions. I do what you do, direct them to go play. I also give visual boundaries like if we are outside, I dont let her stay on the concrete, she has to be in the grass (farther from me and closer to the toys and kids). If I am inside, I had to give her specific tasks to do just so she wasnt underfoot. I finally termed for other reasons so I would love to see what other people post! I dont have this problem with any of my younger kids.

[Soccermom]

I just started these ones between 6 and 4 months ago so maybe it is an issue with starting kids later on in life. I really wonder what causes it...

My mom had a daycare for years and years and no one ever followed her around. They all just played downstairs with the toys, watched sesame street or played out in the yard. Kids back then seemed to want to be as far away from adults as possible unless they were hungry or sick...I really wonder what changed. Why do kids want to be around us all the time now. Are we too nice?

[SilverSabre25]

I have this somewhat, and it does seem to be older kids. Right now I have some fantastic players. Except for my own six year old, who follows me around unless she is on the computer. Most annoying. Thing. EVER. Especially when she brings me her schoolwork to check while I'm trying to go to the bathroom, or just wanders into the bathroom with me to chat or do her schoolwork on the floor or something (she's homeschooled). She has always been like this though, even as a newborn. It's a personality thing, for her. She's getting a little better then more I get the house in order and clutter under control; she just needs a firm hand and firm boundaries, firmer than I expect.

[BumbleBee]

Gates. I have 3 strategically placed for when the following is annoying me. They're hard mounted to the wall.

They can still get out in case of fire, get to bathroom, get to the basement if case of tornado.

It usually goes something like this:

*follow me around*

"Go play"

*follow me around*

"Go play"

*follow me around*

*walk through open gate, turn around, shut & lock gate*

"Go play"

*I go eat some chocolate I have stashed away while the kids go play*

[Soccermom]

Gates. I have 3 strategically placed for when the following is annoying me. They're hard mounted to the wall.

They can still get out in case of fire, get to bathroom, get to the basement if case of tornado.

It usually goes something like this:

*follow me around*

"Go play"

*follow me around*

"Go play"

*follow me around*

*walk through open gate, turn around, shut & lock gate*

"Go play"

*I go eat some chocolate I have stashed away while the kids go play*

LOL I do that sometimes too!!

[Great Beginnings]

I am a huge fan of gates! I have one blocking my playroom from Livingroom so if I need to look something up, make a phone call etc. I also have a gate from my livingroom to my kitchen so they are forced to sit at the table until we are all done and then do potty time. It makes it so much easier.

I have personally found it's unfortunately the children that are uprooted a lot that seem to be the most clingy. Parents are always on the search for the cheapest daycare or the one that will kiss their behinds and bend to their every crazy whim. They don't realize though that a consistant sitter is very important to their security and development.

[Annalee]

I just started these ones between 6 and 4 months ago so maybe it is an issue with starting kids later on in life. I really wonder what causes it...

My mom had a daycare for years and years and no one ever followed her around. They all just played downstairs with the toys, watched sesame street or played out in the yard. Kids back then seemed to want to be as far away from adults as possible unless they were hungry or sick...I really wonder what changed. Why do kids want to be around us all the time now. Are we too nice?

I think there is a need for "someone" entertaining/telling kids what to do at all times....Many kids today have the poorest of self-help skills and few social skills but many parents want it that way. At my fcc program, ALL my kids go to the bathroom by themselves, put their shoes on, clean up after themselves, but the kids have a different lifestyle in their own homes....to each his own, I guess, but I do wonder how the future is gonna be!

[Maria2013]

yes my dcks follow me around and ask a lot of questions , but it doesn't bother me
... my own kids used to follow me around the house too

[melilley]

Mine don't really follow me around, well kind of, but I don't really mind. I have my playroom gated and am in there with them when the gate is shut, but if I close it and come out, they will stand at the gate and cry and yell and scream so I don't do that much. When I do open it, they do follow me, but only to go into the family room. My kids are all 2 and under, except for one 3 yo. so I rarely have the "what are you doing's". They all mostly play and will come up to me sometimes.
BUT when I have food, you bet a few of them are right there...-one 16 mo. grabs my legs and cries and will follow me around then.