I know it’s a new year and all the talk is focused on “out with the old, in with the new” and such. But, sometimes old is just better. As is the case with kids and their attachments. Old means tried and true. Broken in. Trusted. Special.
Each one of the girls has bonded with a specific stuffed animal or “lovey” in such a way that these little things have become a part of our family.
For the 1st Grader it’s always been a lamb. And, since we’re completely unoriginal in the way of names… meet Lambie:
{Many moons and much less hair ago}
The great thing about Lambie is that there are actually two of him. When the 1st Grader initially bonded with, of all the colors, a white stuffed animal, I knew we needed a back-up immediately. So, I added an identical twin to the collection early on, and they’ve been completely interchangeable ever since. I don’t think Lambie missed a day of Kindergarten, though he spent those days confined to a large pink backpack. Still, she knew he was there and that was all that mattered. To this day he remains essential to our bedtime routine and travel plans.
For the Preschooler, her security animal of choice is
Doggie:
{Doggie has always been a great source of comfort to the tired, sad, bored, or injured}
Doggie is aged to perfection. He isn’t particularly soft, and his stuffing is essentially gone. But, Doggie is irreplaceable. I’ve tried on several occasions to sneak in his identical twin. {This involved going so far as to call the company that makes him and special ordering a back-up to match the original}. But, the Preschooler doesn’t fool around with impostors. To her, there is only one true Doggie. And, no sweet-smelling fluffed-up substitute will do. Once, Doggie was inadvertently left at a local pizza parlor over night, and that was a very bad night. Fortunately, we were reunited with him the next day. Like Lambie, Doggie is a critical part of our nighttime routine, and he attends preschool twice a week in a backpack.
And, finally, for the Toddler we have a bear. Meet Brown Bear…
{Brown Bear goes to “school,” too, of course}
I tried in vain to encourage this child to bond with a similarly soft pink poodle or a cute green butterfly. But, in the end, the plain brown bear won out. Basically it’s best if “Bao-bao,” as he is called, is with us at
all times. He cures many an ailment and prevents many a meltdown. He’s been left over night in the church nursery, misplaced under beds, and nearly thrown overboard on “It’s a Small World,” {which would have instantly turned that ride into “It’s a Sad, Sad World”}. But, fortunately, Brown Bear is like a cat with nine lives. And, we’re all very thankful for his resilience. For where Brown Bear is, there is peace.
Not too long ago I rediscovered my own childhood stuffed animal, my beloved Curious George. One sure sign he was well loved is the faded name on his shirt. I promise it said “Curious George” on there in yellow letters. George got axed from my bedtime routine a few decades ago, but he now happily resides in a trunk in our attic with many other childhood treasures.
As high maintenance as these little animals can be, I like that they’re such a source of security and comfort for the girls.
However, the Toddler has been warming up to this stuffed monkey that she got for her birthday, and I’m going to have to draw a line concerning any further bonding with him:
I don’t mind toting around a little lamb, or a dog, or a bear… But, I refuse to buy an extra carseat for a giant monkey.
