Am I addressing my girlfriend correctly?

So I have been with my girlfriend for 2-years now and like every relationship, we have our differences on certain topics. However, there has been one specific topic that has been bugging me like crazy.

So my girlfriend has a 4-year old daughter and this little girl is super smart and sometimes amazing to be around, however, lately, she has been acting up a lot, and when I say a lot I mean so much that she has been lying more than ever, not listening at all to anyone except me. Now to me, I feel as if the little is crying out for attention, see the father of the child moved out of state back during Easter time, and has only spoken to the child through video chat about a handful of times. So although she is only 4— years old I know that she is having a sense of abandonment issue. On top of all this, Her mother and I work a lot, however, for the days that my girlfriend has off she does not seem to want to pay attention to the child for example she will sit on the phone or watch tv or sleep and I am not the only one who notices this behavior. So in hand, the child will make lots of noise in the morning playing with her toys or even continuously not listen; on top of saying, “mommy” over and over again. So I will speak to my girlfriend in regards to these issues and all she does is get frustrated with me or tell me that she does not just watch tv or watch or phone, but that she does play with the child. And yes don’t get me wrong she will spend like 10–30 mins with the child playing, however, I feel as if the child is crying out and I do not know what to do. It is getting so bad that it is creating issues with my girlfriend and me. And I love them dearly but I am losing sleep due to them constantly arguing in the morning( I work overnights). Please help! I am to the point of seeking family counseling, however, I do not know if the little one is only enough for that yet. Help….