Do your kids have a favourite toy or comfort blanket?
Something that had to be carted everywhere, was a drama to wash or repair and that they just wouldn’t sleep without?
Meet Teddies.
Teddies is a Winne the Pooh and Tigger light-weight doona (comforter) that we bought TJ when he was still a wee babe.
As a toddler he just loved it. It was so warm and soft and snugly. He started calling it Teddies because it had Winnie the Pooh on it who he also called Teddies (cos all bears were teddies) and the name stuck.
Now Teddies got dragged everywhere with him. All over the house and yard, in the sandpit, playing tug war with the dog etc though we had to swap it for it’s pillowcase to take to preschool for nap times as it was a bit big and bulky for his bag. It took some convincing to leave Teddies on his bed and only take the pilowcase, but in time it worked. The pillowcase would also trek around the yard, the shops, to Nan’s……. anywhere we went really. All that is left now is a ragged piece that I framed but he still has that doona.
Teddies is frequently the only thing on TJ’s bed. Doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter, he’ll be curled up in a ball with Teddies wrapped up around his chest, shoulders and head (during winter we just chuck extra blankets of top of him). When he was littler on days that I had washed Teddies TJ would frequently disappear. Once we’d convinced him to stop pulling Teddies off the line and let him dry, I’d always find him sitting on a stool under the clothesline with the thumb from one hand in his mouth and the other hand pressing Teddies to the side of his face.
Teddies is always the first thing TJ packs into his suitcase to take on trips even if it means not having enough room for clothes. Teddies is also a bugger for inducing thumb sucking in a boy who has otherwise outgrown it. He only does it these days when sitting somewhere with Teddies up near his face.
Unfortunately Teddies is now getting so old and worn that he no longer provides much warmth.
And I’m getting afraid to wash him for fear he’ll fall apart.
But TJ still won’t give him up.
I’m not sure what we are going to do when he finally falls completely apart.
Yes, both of my boys had a comfort toy.
My eldest had Ernie (‘Nernie’) – Ernie holds a yellow duck that lights up.
We went to Melbourne once and he lost Nernie at a shopping centre……you can imagine the chaos.
We managed to buy another Nernie over there and that was o.k. (oh look, we found him!!! – luckily Nernie number 1 had been washed for the trip and Possum didn’t notice Nernie 2 was new).
When we were at the airport ready to fly back I parked my son in his stroller outside the ladies toilet cubicle i was in for 5 minutes while I dashed in.
Someone decided they needed Nernie more than he did and he was stolen.
So a frantic call to my husband and he bought Nernie number 3 here before coming to the airport to pick us up.
It was just lucky that Nernie wasn’t a one off or unique item……
I have known of blankets that end up just a square of fabric….looks like yours has a litle way to go yet.
G
xx
When Bubs moved from his cot to a big boy bed, there was no way he was giving up his Fisher Price aquarium. It sits snuggly in the corner of his racing car bed and he falls asleep to it every night.
That aquarium has played at least twice a night [he puts it on every time he wakes up] for nearly four years!
I had a favourite pillow I called ‘Bulla’. I had it from the age of 4 and slept on it every night till my mid 20s. The thing was disintergrating. It was pretty gross!
Funny the things we get attached to, isnt it?
Meet blankie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnJ_6IMUijo
I was lucky enough to get two blankets exactly the same when Heidi was a baby and she adopted those as her special blankie. She is more aware now that they are different as they have different tears and stuff but she loves them equally.
Looks like there’s some good-sized bits that can be salvaged. Cut a square from the largest good bit and use it to make a cuddle quilt, with a new backing (something really soft and comfy) and a thin layer of wadding. Eventually downsize it to a cushion cover.
My kids had favourite stuff but nothing they “couldn’t live without”.
River has a great idea, there.
I have a teddy called Hamlet and I have a hell of a time sleeping without him. Yeah, I’m a sook.
Salvage what you can but good luck!
Hi Anja! Long time no see and all that. I sleep with a stuffed baby chimp called Harvey Banana, he keeps my secrets and hides my tears.
My 21 year old daughter still has a ‘piece’ of her blankie that she even travels overseas with.
omg! that’s hilarious! What ARE you going to do? He’ll just have to carry around the scraps— That is so sweet! My kids didn’t really have anything they were too attached to. Thinking back on it now, my son (oldest, nearly 18) had a HUGE “Elmo” that was bigger than him and was lovingly made by his aunt, for his birthday. He slept with it every night.
That really is kind of sweet. I like River’s idea too. And the video Marita posted made me laugh out loud! That poor little girl, but she’s so adorably funny!
I also like River’s idea. And maybe you can keep a swatch for yourself to blackmail him with when he brings home the girls.