My daughter is turning 1 year old this month. I am in college working toward a career so that I will be able to one day support the two of us. And I have a part time job. But right now I can only afford to live in my parents' basement.  It's a separate apartment with its own kitchen, entry, etc... but my mom doesn't work so any time I need a babysitter so that I can get ready for school/work, GO to school/work, or study, she's there.  And when my mom has her, all she has to do is play with her.  When she is with me, I'm probably doing something else too, like cleaning, studying, something.  And even if I'm not, it seems like I rarely have the energy to be silly and goofy with her like her grandparents are. She favors them over me, she even favors my boyfriend over me.  

I get really down about it a lot.  I can only take it so many times of her crying and trying to get away from me when she is in the presence of her grandparents or my boyfriend.  

I know that in a couple years I will be done with school and be settled down so that I can be a real mom to her, but will that be too late by then to reverse the damage? I mean the way her grandparents spoil her and she sees them as her parents right now I'm pretty sure...

And what do I do until then? I have a tendency towards depression and I don't know if I can handle it for that long, especially since I'm about to go into nursing school which I've heard takes your life away because you have to spend so much time studying! I'm a wreck! Help!

You CAN'T take it personally!  When kids are little, they want what they want...when they want it.  You are probably the one telling her "no you can't have that cookie before dinner"  and "no, we can't play now, it's time for bed."  That's no fun for either one of you!  Lucky you...you get to be the parent, while everyone else is a playmate!  My daughter has bouts when she favors her dad over me (when I'm studying..this last bit of finals I hardly ever saw her!)  but I just know that when she's older and can better understand what kind of sacrafices we've made for our kids, it will be appreciated then.  You are being a great mother...and it's also great that she is able to have that close of a relationship with her grandmother!  I would try to set aside some special time each week with your daughter doing something she loves.  Even coloring or playing dress up for an hour!  It might not be as often as you'd both like, but she'll remember them later on as very special moments with mom, and realize what a great mommy you are!  Remember too, that you are also setting the example, she'll know that anything is possible...if her mom can juggle work, school and mommyhood...she can do anything too!

Good luck with school!  It's not easy, but I think will be well worth it in the end!