No Daddy No!

We are so happy to have Adrian back in our lives after being deployed for a year. He's been home for about a month now and our lives have been anything but routine ever since. School has been out for Liam; Adrian comes home from work at different times everyday; Liam, Gwyn and I have been sick for the last week; nothing is normal anymore. Liam has enjoyed playing with Adrian for the first weeks of his return but now Liam is rejecting Adrian and won't even be in the same room as Adrian so he doesn't have to confront him. With me being sick I have needed Adrian's help with taking care of the kids but Liam won't have any part of daddy helping him. In the picture above, I had to persuade Liam to go see the statue with daddy but Liam wasn't happy that he had to leave me behind and I wouldn't be holding his hand. So Liam went but didn't want to be near or hold daddy's hand. Every little thing is an issue with Liam if daddy has to help or be involved. When I asked him why can't daddy help he replied "Because daddy's too different!" He is now back to square one with Adrian, before Adrian deployed a year ago, Liam would have fits because Adrian would get him out of the car instead of me. I have talked to Liam and told him social stories about "When daddy is home, he will drive the car...when daddy is home, he will help you with your shoes..." and so on. But so far the social stories are not working, and I haven't been on "my game" since I've been sick. Now I'm getting better and I'm trying to come up with new techniques to incorporate good behavior responses and bad behavior responses and that Liam has a choice to respond with good behavior and get a reward. In fact, after I write this blog, I will be working on some new reward systems for him. Right now if Adrian walks into Liam's bedroom Liam will scream "NO, DADDY, NO! I DON'T WANT YOU! I WANT MOMMY! GO AWAY!" and he'll cry and scream as if he were getting beaten if Adrian continues. Adrian has been really understanding about it, even though I know it breaks his heart to hear Liam protest so angrily about him. But it's not that Liam doesn't like Adrian, it's that Liam is not used to Adrian being the person who helps him with his pajamas, or put him to bed. He is used to me doing all of this and it's easy if I do it because he knows how to socialize with me and he knows what to expect with me, he doesn't know what to expect with Adrian. Adrian could put his left foot in the sock first instead of his right foot. Adrian could put his pants on before his shirt is put on. All these possibilities are unpredictable is Adrian does them but I know exactly what to do and how Liam likes to do things without him having to worry about it. It's like all Liam does is worry when Adrian is around and when Liam worries, he isn't carefree and he doesn't want to have fun or play.