I know most of you are pretty tired of this scratchy old 78 RPM spinning around about her grandkids'. But when someone said we should write about what we are passionate about (or did he just say "write with passion"-there I go again, my memory just headed for the kitchen and another snack leaving me here staring blankly at my computer).
Oh, well, whatever he said, when it comes to talking about or writing about my grandchildren I can get my blood pressure rockin' and rollin'! Someone once told me, "we've all got kids and grandkids; talk about something else for God's sake!" So I did. I talked about God. Then someone else said they didn't find God under every stick or rock that they picked up and didn't want to hear any more. So, now after having my ears burn for two weeks over a prediction and prophesy' article, I decided to go back to safer ground and write about my favorite subject-kids.
My grandson spends two nights each week with us because his parents both work too late to get him out of bed and carry him home in the cold. And he has to be up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for school. Now, he has a special stuffed frog that has been his security blanket' since he was very tiny. He can not possibly sleep without it. The only place it didn't get to go with him was on the bus and to school.
One particular night he came over to spend the night and forgot his frog. After much crying, fussing, and stamping of little feet (mine not his), he was finally appeased after I had dug through every toy box (and there are many) in the house until I found a stuffed bunny rabbit (purple). As he went off to bed with the bunny-seemingly quite satisfied-he stopped at the door, turned back to me with a deep frown and firmly said, "But you just know that my favorite color is not
purple!" I didn't dare laugh until he was out of the room.
Many children become strongly attached to a particular baby blanket or soft cuddly toy at a very young age. My grandson's frog had to be washed many times over the past four years and he would sometimes even stand in front of the washer and dryer worried that it might get hurt. I think, for all children, these items are just what they are-a form of security. And the need for that security isn't always apparent.
Some children feel more secure with their blanket or toy while their mother is away at work. It is a replacement for the security they feel deprived of while mother is not there. Sometimes this helps the child become more independent of their mother. Some children may need the comfort from a special item when they don't receive the attention that they require from their parents. But, there are children that just develop an attachment to a favorite blanket or toy for no particular reason. It doesn't have to mean that there are emotional issues involved. And I don't believe that this attachment should be a worry for most parents, as most children soon outgrow the attachment usually before or shortly after starting school.
I know that my grandson has gradually become less and less attached to his froggy, but now he has a favorite Teddy Bear that he got at the Build-A-Bear shop in the mall. It is a strange bear-white with green shamrocks and the voice of a monkey. Go figure! But he built it, so who am I to say it's strange? I think what attracts my grandson to these toys is the oh-so-soft fur. As a tiny baby, he loved to rub the softest stuffed animals against his face. Then he began chewing on the tags. When we removed the tags, he would have no more to do with that particular toy. By the time the frog received retirement, its tag was just a tattered string. He was ring bearer in a wedding when he was two--the rings had to be tied to the ribbon on his froggy's neck because he wouldn't carry the pillow or leave his froggy behind.
I think the biggest issue for children developing these types of attachments, is having a good relationship with their parents, siblings, grandparents, and others around them. And also to learn independence as they grow older. If everything else in their lives is normal, a security blanket should not become an issue.
Sign up Now to be a SearchWarp author:
http://www.SearchWarp.com/Register.asp Sandra E. Graham, author,
AMOS JAKEY and
NICOLINA published by American Book Publishing. I also write book reviews for authors through Book Pleasures. Visit my website for more information on my books that are in print now and reviews I have written.
http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com 
tweet this!
