Lovey Addiction

Baby is at the age when most kids choose a transitional object, also known as a lovey. A lovey is a unique item that a child carries where ever they go. A lovey can help a toddler find comfort in a chaotic world. A lovey can soothe a sick baby, calm a nervous child, and provide a tangible substitution when Mommy and Daddy aren’t available for a cuddle.

The basic rules for parents to follow regarding loveys are:

1. Encourage your child to choose a lovey that you don’t mind taking with you everywhere you go for the next few years.

2. Once your child chooses a lovey, buy a few identical loveys and store them as potential replacements. There is nothing more devastating to a child than losing a cherished lovey. There is nothing more devastating to a parent than not being able to find a replacement lovey.

Mommy and Daddy agree that using a transitional object is a healthy coping mechanism for a toddler, so Mommy and Daddy have been encouraging Baby to find a lovey. They bought Baby his very own boy baby doll. It is soft and has a rattle inside. The baby doll is just the right size for a Baby hug. The baby doll is wearing a cloth bib and holding a cloth bottle, which are both interesting objects to chew on. If all else fails, the baby doll also has a manufacturer’s tag that can be chewed on.

Baby loves his baby doll, which he has affectionately named “Oops”, but Oops is not his lovey. His Build-A-Bear is not his lovey. His GloWorm is not his lovey. His Winnie the Pooh Lovey Blanket is not his lovey.

His lovey is a ladle. His lovey is a small, yellow, plastic ladle that was part of a toy food kit that his older sister received as a gift TEN YEARS AGO.

He found the ladle yesterday and he held it for 4 HOURS. He carried it throughout the house, ate dinner with it, got his diaper changed with it, and fell asleep holding it.

This morning, he got dressed with it, ate breakfast with it, held it in the car, and screamed at the top of his lungs when Mommy tore it from his iron grip at daycare this morning. We certainly can’t risk losing the lovey at daycare!

Now, Mommy and Daddy must find a replacement lovey. How hard could it be?

P.S. If you have this yellow plastic ladle in your toy box, I will offer you a bazillion dollars for it.