Question by EM: Can you tell your toddler “I will miss you” when leaving for work or “I’m sad” to go to work?
My understanding was no. My wife thinks these are okay to say. The book “What To Expect…Toddler Years” says don’t say “I will miss you”, but I just found an article on babycenter. com that says it’s okay. What’s most important here: dealing with separation anxiety and making it okay (and great, hooray) that parents – and one day the child – leave the house every day, OR, being honest about our feelings for our daughter and how much we indeed will miss her and love her?
For context, she is 16 months, and has a handful of words down, so I expect she gets the emotions behind whatever we say, and maybe some of the words.
I was sure we shouldn’t say “I will miss you” when we leave, thinking that would guilt our daughter somehow, but now I am unsure…
Opinions are okay, but in all honesty I am really looking to be directed to web links for parenting web sites and documented sources (X book, page Y, etc.) that I can share with my wife.
Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by Sixx
Throw the books away, they only cause unnecessary stress (one reason being if your child starts developing something quicker/slower than is ‘normal’)
I would have thought it is fine to say that you’ll miss your child, if you say bye then she’s less likely to stress out because you’ve suddenly just disappeared, surely? Maybe say “bye, I’ll miss you” and “I’ll see you later/soon”? Make a big fuss of her when you get back
What do you think? Answer below!