How to Handle Clingy Kids as Working Parents
It’s not us who don’t want to go to work — it’s the kids being clingy, we swear!
Our call to return to work onsite is a drastic change for our kids. Because the pandemic kept everybody at home, the kids don’t know a world outside of us. For kids, seeing us leave to go to work is likevwatching their world fall apart or being left in a strange place. We served as their safety blanket but we eventually have to wean them off it. Here are some ways to handle our clingy kids who have trouble letting us go to work.
1. Make sure someone stays with them when you’re gone.
Kids hate being left alone so now’s the perfect time to introduce a relative who you can trust. It could be an aunt, uncle, or grandparents since not all companies see the necessity of working onsite. Some companies still prefer remote work, making relatives the de facto babysitters when you need to concentrate. Don’t forget a quick “thank you” note or treat them to a meal for handling our clingy kids for the next few hours!
2. Let them ride with you to work.
A little exposure never hurts, as it also enhances our kids’ immune systems. Car rides are often the safest way to expose our little ones to the outside world, letting them see the world that mommy and daddy live in behind protective glass. It also teaches them how to travel and eventually, they’ll be able to handle long road trips for staycations outside the metro!
3. Stick to an after-work routine.
Clingy kids fear instability, which is what our going to work is a sign of. So, we can give them something to do when we come home from work. Our usual “coffee dates” will now be replaced with “hot cocoa” or “juice box” dates as we talk to our kids about school or work.
4. Inform our kids if we’re going to be home late.
If we want our kids to tell us where they’re going when they’re older, best we start them young by doing it ourselves. If a meeting’s going to drag on for the next few hours, we should message them so that they won’t be sitting at home, thinking they’ll go hungry.
5. Introduce them to solitary play.
A lot of times, kids are clingy because they’re not sure how to handle things when we’re gone. Introduce the concept of solitary play by giving them things to tinker with while we’re busy. Toys like model kits, dioramas, puzzles, shape sorters, or even books encourage their imagination to grow. It also gives them more avenues to develop their micro-motor skills when handling smaller parts.
6. Put them through extracurricular classes.
Boredom is a child’s and parent’s worst enemy. And extracurricular classes can help! There are a variety of extracurricular classes like ballet, dance, painting, and more. It also encourages them to grow a social circle beyond you so they can make friends of their own, developing in ways that only peers can make them.
Sometimes, their clinginess reflects our own.
The denial is real when we go to work, fearing what will happen to our kids when we’re out. As parents, we fear that our baby-proofing or kid-proofing methods may not be enough since somehow, they always surprise us with something. But kids can also sense our anxiety about leaving them and missing out, clinging onto us even more. When that happens, separate the instincts from the irrational thoughts because sometimes, the stuff we believe will happen is actually impossible.
More for working parents?
4 Ways Working Parents Can Upskill
Melissa Gohing: “You Can Be A Good Mom and A Working Mom!”
Stay-At-Home-Moms On Returning To Work: It’s Okay To Be Nervous
