All About the Lovey

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

06 May 2009 09:39 AM

When one of my best friends said to me yesterday, "I know you are going to write about this," well I just couldn't resist.

Young children develop attachments to love objects, or loveys for security. Carrying around these objects is a comfort to the child, especially in scary or new situations. The lovey reassures the child that there is some consistency, and it can be a friend.

Not all children develop loveys. None of my three children did, although they do like to bring along toys. They just aren't the same toys each time.

If your child does have a lovey, this is in no way an indication of a child who is overly insecure or a reflection of your parenting. It is just one of the many ways that children cope with a big and sometime scary world. Thumb sucking is another way to self soothe, which one of my children did practice.

If your child does have a lovey, you want to make sure, if you can, that you have a backup one. The loss of a lovey can be devastating to a child. Acquire a duplicate lovey and switch them out. Wash one while the other is being used, so that they will both have the same amount of wear. If you are careful, your child won't realize that there is more than one lovey.

Loveys can be all sorts of things, although most of the time they come in the form of a blanket or a stuffed animal. This brings me to my friend. Her little boy's lovey is a tissue. He carries tissues all around the house, and when they get lost, he simply searches for a new tissue. His mom told me that these tissues have to be of good quality and unscented. The little boy will sometimes request a new tissue and sometimes a used tissue (meaning crumpled up not actually sneezed into).

Finding all of the tissues can be a treasure hunt because they are small and can get tucked in anywhere. I sometimes find some myself when he visits which makes me smile.

While this is one of the strangest loveys I have heard of, I am sure that there must be other strange loveys out there. Does your child have a lovey? If so, what is it?

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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