Kellie Pegg: She's such a daddy's girl, Mum doesn't get a look in!

Every child has a favourite parent. In our house, my daughter Ava-Lilly's favourite parent is her dad.
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Ever since she was born she’s been a Daddy’s girl. She is the apple of my hubby’s eye.

He is calm, patient and easygoing with her.

I am constantly running around working, doing housework, organising everything and keeping us all in shape.

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Sometimes I feel like an army Major – I would have made a good one, I’m certain.

I would be lying if I said that some days I didn’t want to be the favourite, sometimes I want to be the one Ava-Lilly calls her ‘best friend’.

I’m the one who runs around the shops buying her new clothes in my old tracksuit bottoms and battered Converse. She ends up with a wardrobe fit for a princess whilst I look nothing like a yummy mummy.

I’m the one who spends hours on the internet trying to find her a gymnastics class . “I want to do handstands Mummy,” is what I get told.

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When she tells me: “I don’t want you, I want Daddy” or “I don’t love you Mummy” I try and explain all of the things I do for her.

Of course at her age she doesn’t understand.

This week it all got to me a little. Ava-Lilly has a terrible cold and I wanted to be the one who she called and wanted a cuddle from – no such luck though.

I went into her bedroom to say goodnight and she turned to my husband and said: “I don’t want Mummy, I want you”.

My heart sank. “Ok, well I don’t want you so that’s fine. Goodnight Ava-Lilly,” I said. As I walked away she shouted for me and I instantly smiled. I was hoping that would happen.

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My husband Chris said to me later that night: “You’re terrible Kelly, using reverse psychology on a three-year-old to get affection.”

Yes Chris, you’re right but you have no idea how it feels to be the odd one out in this family.

Of course I want my daughter to love me. I want to be the one she shouts for, cries for, and the one she won’t let go of.

In reality though this just isn’t the case.

My need to be needed by her went a step too far last weekend and it taught me lesson, shall we say.

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We went out for dinner and during the meal Ava-Lilly kept saying “Daddy’s my best friend” and “I only love Daddy”, so I retaliated with: “That’s ok. Mummy’s leaving and going to live in a place called Australia and you won’t have to see me again”.

My husband looked horrified and said, “You can’t say things like that Kelly!”

I thought nothing of it until we got home and Ava-Lilly had been in bed for about an hour. I was watching Strictly Come Dancing when I heard: “Mummy!!!! Mummy!”

There she was standing at the top of the stairs crying her eyes out.

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When I picked her up she said: “Please don’t leave, don’t go to Australia.”

Well I could have punched myself in the face - why did I have to say that to her?

What’s wrong with me?

After getting her settled the same thing happened another two times before I put her into my bed for the night.

My husband was of course gloating at all of this but I was feeling like the world’s worst mum.

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The next day it was like my beautiful girl had completely forgotten the whole episode.

As we lay in bed on Sunday morning she said: “Daddy’s my best friend and I love him.”

I replied with a smile: “That’s nice darling, Daddy’s my best friend too”.

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