Partner Preference

My 2.5 year old son has had a preference for Dad for the last 6 months. When it's just the two of us at home, we are great- he seems to enjoy our time together. When my partner is around, my son pushes me away and gets deeply upset if I am part of their play time or activites.

The preference has gotten so severe that when it's my morning to wake him up, the first words out of his mouth are, "how about Daddy? Don't want Mommy." And he cries and screams until I can get him upstairs to where Daddy is. The last two daycare pick ups are the same thing, "where is Daddy? Don't want Mommy to pick up." Today he asked to stay at daycare and I had to basically drag him out crying and throwing a tantrum because he wanted Daddy or to stay at daycare. It was embarrassing as most kids are excited to see their parents and go home. Also, I don't want daycare to think I am abusive or cold.

I am a genuinely present parent. I'm home when he wakes up every morning, we eat dinner together every night, I am there at bedtime. I spend one full day at home a week with just him and my partner and I are both off on the weekends. I am emotionally available and am present to play with him, I involve him in day to day activities. I am patient. Yelling and anger are not in my nature.

My partner and I split all duties 50/50 most of the time. We swap drop off and pick ups daily. We swap bath time and bedtimes every other night.

Things we have tried for months:

(1) thick skin. I don't let him know it gets to me and hurts. (2) I spend one on one time daily with him after daycare/work (3) we don't give in to Daddy preference on my wake up, bedtime, or bath time days (4) I take him on weekly alone time "dates" (5) my partner talks positively about me and points out the things I do for him (6) I tell him I love him and that I enjoy spending time with him and being his Mommy all the time

... any advice is helpful. I'm not sure what else to do, it's exhausting for my partner and heartbreaking for me.

I'm at the point that I may not do pick up for awhile because it is heartbreaking and embarrassing that my child would prefer to stay at daycare than have me pick him up. ... I also don't want daycare to think I am abusive or negative to my son in any way by his resistance of me.