Toddler too attached to me

I'm a working mother but I spend a lot of time playing with my little girl (she's 20 m.o) before I go to work, at lunch and when I come home from work.

I took her to Sydney about a month ago and eversince we got back, she doesn't seem to want our helper. She just wants mummy. She cries when I go to work, she only wants mummy to feed her or change her or put her to bed when I'm home... and she gets so excited when I'm home that she doesn't want to finish her meal unless I feed her.

My helper isn't helping. She's just sulking and constantly scolding my little baby.

What should I do?

I'm trying to get others to play with her apart from me - like my inlaws and her friends. She seems okay with that. And I stay out until she's finished her meals.... some nights I go out with friends in the hope of letting her establish other relationships. I do explain to her that mummy has to leave for work. She stopped crying today so I think she's getting used to it... but she still wants mummy all the time when I'm home.

Any idea on what I should do?

This is a stage that your daughter is going through. They go through separation anxiety as toddlers - between 18-30 months this can increase. (i'm going through it with my own daughter.) Find out how your daughter is when you're not around - she's probably fine, and it's just the initial separation from you that is causing distress. Giving your daughter the attention that she wants is probably good for her - so if she wants you to feed her and stuff, do it. It'll pass eventually and they will want the other relationships. For about a month, my daughter wanted me to do EVERYTHING - diapers, meals, dressing - all this stuff. My helper TRIED to help she would push her away. Eventually she decided that she'd rather have her yaya sometimes...on her own.