Security Objects

After teaching for 6 years, I have met many children who have security objects. Many have blankets or animals that they are attached to. I never really understood this attachment until my 3 year old developed one. My oldest daughter never had an object to sooth her. I was her security object. I would have to lay with her for her to go to sleep or when she was sad or scared, she would come to me. Before Maya was born, she was given a lamb blanket. It has the head and arms of a stuffed animal and the body is a blanket.   This blanket animal later earned the name of BaaBaa. BaaBaa was in Maya's crib from the day she was born. Her attachment did not develop until she was 16months old when she started day care. For the last 2 years Baa Baa has become Maya's best friend. BaaBaa has also become part of our family. BaaBaa goes everywhere with us and Maya often refers to him as her best friend. He makes going to bed so much easier and makes the scary events so much less scary. BaaBaa has received so much love from Maya even though he now only has one eye as the result of too many baths int he washer and one ears as the result of an amputation from our dog who later threw the ear back up which now is in a safe spot but not sewn back on. We have misplaced BaaBaa before always to find him under a couch or pillow. We have gone one night without him when he was left at daycare and not found until the next day but that was in the early days when the attachment was just developing. We have even left BaaBaa at a store every now and again but have always gone right back to find him waiting for us. We thought BaaBaa was gone forever last night. We retraced our days events and searched high and low for BaaBaa. Maya feel asleep with tears in her eyes snuggled up to her big sister. Maya joined me in bed at some point in the night and she woke up a few times calling for BaaBaa. I searched every nook and cranny in our house, tore our car apart, sent Daddy on a mission and called all the places we had visited yesterday. BaaBaa was no where to be found. I fell asleep wishing and praying that BaaBaa would appear in the morning. Maya woke up with a smile on her face and didn't instantly ask about BaaBaa. Ella woke up and instantly asked if I found BaaBaa. I realized at this point that losing BaaBaa was traumatic for the entire family. BaaBaa has become part of our family and not Maya would not have it when she gets older and he all of a sudden is no longer a a part of our life. There is a sadness to it. I have always envisioned BaaBaa on Maya's college bed and then in a box with all of her fond childhood keepsakes. Now we just have stories. 

Remembering we saw BaaBaas twin this summer, I called Grandpa to send him to get another one. Maya thought it would be ok to have a new sparkly two eared two eyed BaaBaa. It wouldn't be the same but close enough. Maya got so excited at the mission we put Grandpa boo up to. 

This morning we got a knock on our door and the real BaaBaa came home. He spent the night in our neighbors garage. While looking last night, he was scanned over but was spotted this morning. The best friends have been reunited and all is good in our house. That was the longest night and our whole family felt the impact. I now completely understand the significance of security objects and impact that BaaBaa has on our entire family!