As I sit in my minivan, I can’t help but notice the blue blanket nestled in the center console. It’s been there for four days now, and while I refer to it as a “blanket,” the truth is more along the lines of “well-loved, hole-riddled rag.” For nearly a decade, this blanket has been my son’s steadfast companion, an extension of his being and, by extension, a part of our family.
The lengths we’ve gone to for this beloved blanket (I’ve even given it a proper name, after all) are nothing short of absurd. We’ve made a 40-minute detour just to retrieve a forgotten blanket, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve asked, “Do you have your blanket?” before leaving home—checking and rechecking multiple times. I’ve spent countless hours searching for a misplaced blanket—in the fridge, the freezer, under beds, in bathtubs, under sinks, and yes, even in the trash.
For the past 10 years, this blanket has been there for my son whenever he feels tired, sad, or just needs a moment to unwind. He has developed a unique method of comfort that he calls “snugs,” which involves rubbing a corner of the blanket against his nose while sucking his thumb.
There have been moments when I’ve questioned whether he would ever outgrow his attachment to the blanket or stop thumb-sucking. Just as I once wondered if he would ever sleep through the night as a newborn, or if he would be potty trained at three. People often say that children won’t go off to college still clutching their blankets and sucking their thumbs, and yet I’ve found myself pondering this very idea.
Some may argue that he’s too old to still have a blanket, or that we should have intervened much earlier to curb his thumb-sucking habit. But we’ve always responded with a firm “back off.”
A couple of years ago, I took my son to an orthodontist due to some prematurely lost teeth. I mentioned casually that he was a thumb-sucker, and that this wasn’t going to change anytime soon. The orthodontist replied, “We’ll see what we can do about that.” As my son sat in the chair, the doctor asked him what his friends would think if they knew he sucked his thumb. My son confidently replied, “They wouldn’t say anything…because they’re my friends.”
That exchange prompted us to seek out a different orthodontist—one who recognized that my son would eventually stop thumb-sucking when he was ready. In the meantime, it was simply not a cause for concern.
So here we are, a decade later, with my son still enjoying his “snugs” with his blanket while sucking his thumb. Is he on the older side for these behaviors? Perhaps. Could we have taken the blanket away or created a ceremonial farewell, as many parents do with pacifiers? Absolutely. Could we have put mittens on him at night to break the habit? Certainly. But I ask, why? To what end? To deprive him of a source of comfort? To push him into adulthood too soon, where he might feel ashamed of his quirks?
Children are not machines; they are unique individuals who navigate life at their own pace. Just as we once believed our newborn would never sleep through the night, or that our toddler would never be potty trained, each child eventually masters these milestones in their own time.
One day, you may find yourself in a similar situation, noticing that your nearly 10-year-old has forgotten his blanket in the car for days on end. And while you may feel a pang of nostalgia for the childhood that once was, it’s simply a part of growing up.
If you’re interested in more insights on childhood milestones and the challenges of parenting, check out this informative piece on embracing childhood milestones. And for those considering at-home insemination, Make a Mom offers reliable kits and fertility supplements to support your journey. For more resources on pregnancy and home insemination, the Johns Hopkins Fertility Center is an excellent starting point.
In summary, while it’s natural to worry about when our children will let go of their childhood comforts, it’s essential to remember that every child will progress in their own time, and the journey is uniquely theirs.
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