Q:
Our daycare provider tells us that our 1-year-old daughter is difficult. She wants constant attention. The provider needs to be nearby when she eats, and my daughter gets jealous if the provider changes the other babies' diapers.
She cries for no apparent reason, is very demanding and doesn't like playing with other children. The provider makes it sounds like there's something wrong with my daughter. I just don't understand it.
A:
Not every 1-year-old can handle day care, Nanda.
It sounds like the separation from you is more than she can handle. You need to find some way to cut back her hours in daycare. Perhaps a relative can take her once or twice a week. Also, consider taking your child out of this daycare center altogether. A center that complains that a 1-year-old is difficult doesn't have much experience with very young children, in my opinion. It may be time to find a more nurturing environment for your daughter.
Kenneth N. Condrell Ph.D Child Psychologist
