A couple of months ago, my 3 1/2 year old daughter has started to express really wanting to spend time with other adult female figures. For example, she has wanted to visit my counsin, who she calls an aunt, who, unfortunately lives in CA, and she doesn't understand that we cannot simply just get on a plane and visit her. She has also wanted to spend time with my sister, who, unfortunately, has 4 children of her own and doesn't seem that interested in spending time with my girls. She has also asked if we could invite over the Mom who carpools her to Preschool.
Although I do work full time, I try to do one-on-one activities with her (gymnastics class which I attend with her, princess day at a boutique, read to her every night before bed time, etc.)
I guess I'm just curious if at this age it is typical for girls to need this additional attention or to want to form these types of relationships.
My daughter does this too, same age. Her Sunday school teacher and any babysitter, she calls them all her friends and loves to be around them. It's normal.
When my daughter, who is now 6, was around 3-4, she went through a very similar stage. She was a great communicator, although shy toward strangers. She suddenly seemed mature and tried to be a part of conversations with my friends and I. I think she just wanted the attention and to be included, as I'm sure your daughter does, too. It's not that you aren't providing her with enough already, she just is trying to relate to women. My daughter would refer to my friends and other mothers as her "friends" not as her friends' mothers. In fact, I had a hard time pushing her away to go play with their kids because she wanted to sit and listen to us talk. I think it's perfectly normal for your "little woman" to want to be included right now. She's your oldest, and in her mind, probably the only way to separate herself from her "baby" sister is to be more grown up. I think it's normal. Shortly after my daughter turned 4, she wanted to spend more time with her friends, mostly girls, and is continuing to develop her peer group now.
My daughter is 3.5 yrs old and very outgoing. She LOVES to talk to adults and will chat your ear off! I am a SAHM and spend tons of time with her. It doesn't matter - she just finds adults fascinating. She has invited her preschool teachers over for playdates, and invited another teacher (different class) over for Christmas! She has friends that we shedule playdates with, and gets plenty of attention at home. I think its fairly typical of the age, and just a phase.
I think that it is not that she is looking for other adult females. I think she just enjoys the adult attention and is expressing interest in those she has interacted with. I too work full time and my kids with ask on the weekend if they are going to see their grandparents - and they are 2 and 4. it's not because they don't want to spend time with me, in fact they want me to come too, but because it represents fun.
And children like adult attention because it is focused on them.
So I think it is typical
