Is this behavior from a toddler normal?

Question

My dad and his new wife brought their 2 year old granddaughter to my house yesterday to have a play date with my son of the same age. She babysits her once/week for the day. I have never met her (the granddaughter) before but when they got my house the girl took my hand and wouldn’t let go. When her grandma tried to take her back she would flip out. I asked my dad if she turned 2 yet and he didn’t know but then said well she must be 2 because she had a birthday party, I asked how was it and he said idk I didn’t go, I can’t go to all of these things 😢 
I understand some toddlers are just friendly but this was weird to me bc of how she reacted to the grandma. Grandma is super frazzled and calls her a bad baby, etc. despite watching her just once/week. Is this normal behavior for a toddler? I have other nieces and nephews and it seems off to me.

Answer

I would watch out for the situation. Sometimes it can be normal. Sometimes kids cling to people and it doesn't mean anything at all except they really like that person. In some cases, it can also be a sign that the child doesn't have a secure attachment with grandmother. It might not necessarily be because of abuse, but just that the grandmother isn't connecting with the child and bonding properly for whatever reason. That can be for different reasons, sometimes including abuse or some form of neglect. Considering that the grandmother says the child is a "bad baby", I would keep my eye on that if possible. To me, saying something like that shows that the grandmother doesn't have a true understanding about baby behavior, and that could be causing some sort of emotional disconnect.

Answer

Yes it does happen.. my daughter loves my friend who we rarely see and my auntie.. who we also rarely see.. and she just used to cling to them.. cry when they had to go.. now she's older.. she understands more but she still can get upset.

Answer

I have a niece who clings to people who are unfamiliar even. She has older sisters, she is the only one who does/has done this. She will pick someone out and hold their hand the whole time and not let go. She just turned 3 when I first experienced it. Unfortunately we don’t get to see them super often so I honestly don’t know if she even knew who I was at this point. But she grabbed my hand and became obsessed with me for a couple hours. Then she saw another relative she doesn’t see often who is a similar age to me, and she grabbed her hand and wouldn’t let go either. The mom of the 3 year old joked “she found a new victim”. She told me she does this constantly. I know she’s not getting abused or anything in her home. I think it’s just some kids personalities

Answer

My daughter is about to be 2 and clings to people sometimes. I wouldn’t really assume anything from it unless you see anything alarming on grandma’s side. But her being frazzled and calling her a bad baby could simply mean she’s overwhelmed by regularly having to care for her

Is this behavior from a toddler normal?

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