Got woobies?
Posted on October 22, 2009 by FoBaM-Jamie
There are days that make me want to suck my thumb and wrap myself in a security blanket like Linus. Unfortunately, such behavior would probably earn me some seriously raised eyebrows and maybe even a visit from a nice social worker.
Luckily, kids aren’t constrained by such societal mores. When I was a little munchkin, my “woobie” was a stuffed bear named Christopher. I loved him so ferociously that I hugged his face off. (My mom had to execute a stealth extraction during naptime to embroider a new nose and mouth.) My sister went with a blanket which was eventually reduced to a tiny and tattered scrap of pink, satin edging. My own daughter would throw herself in front of a speeding train to save her beloved Roxy Foxy (pictured above , worn and well-loved).
Before my daughter fell in love with Roxy, I wasn’t sure whether to hope for, or fear the arrival of such a special friend. A woobie comes with a great deal of responsibility (as comically portrayed in Mo Willem’s book, Knuffle Bunny). But a woobie can also be a mom’s best friend – instilling courage and providing comfort in all kinds of unfamiliar, or even downright scary situations.
Truth be told, we adults sometimes still have our own woobies – they’re just disguised as good luck charms. You know – a kickin’ outfit that makes you feel ready to take on the town, a lucky bracelet, a favorite baseball hat. Or maybe your woobie is a particular routine or habit, like getting in that exercise class, an invigorating cup of morning joe, or a late night ritual of cocoa and junk TV.
Each one of us – whether in the preschool, midlife, or senior set – needs a little extra comfort once in a while. Does your child have a favorite woobie? How about you? Come on, fess up. We’ll show you ours if you show us yours!
My youngest son was eternally attached to a plaid fleece blanket, until it got left, on his birthday, in a hotel during a road trip. That night for his birthday I bought him a stuffed dog and that instantly replaced the blanket. Until our new puppy decided he loved the stuffed dog and then my son gave up the stuffed animal to the puppy.
I still have my “woobie” from childhood. It was a stuffed animal (Dog) that I had since birth that was a gift from my aunt. I could never part with is, now my 6 year old “watches” over him for me, although he isn’t nearly as attached to it as I was since he just leaves it on his bed and makes sure it is there from time to time!
My 6 year old never had any attachments, but my 18 month old is the complete opposite. He is just like Linus (with his blue blanket that he carries around AND sucks his thumb too while rubbing the blankie) lol. He also has a small stuffed monkey that he adores as well.
@Christi – Wow, your son sounds amazingly adaptable! WIsh we could all be so easy going!
I used to have a stuff kitty named…Kitty Pooler XD He went everywhere with us and was actually apart of our family. Aside from taking family portraits with us he went to resturants and the movies and church with the family. One time he got lost and my sister (2 years younger than me) cried like crazy! We lost a family member! But we soon found him. Eventually his eyeballs fell out and his fur got all lint-bally. We still have him til this day ( I had to stop and ask if we still had him haha). We love our kitty and hopefully my son (3 going on 4 months old) will have his very own “woobie” when he is older.
My daughter (16 months old) is very attahed to her pacifier. That is what she wants at bedtime & when she is insecure. My son (4 yrs) has a stuffed tigger that his aunt gave him when he was born & a big beanie frog that he sleeps with each night.
My Grandmother bought my son a Precious Moment Blue doll from Avon before he was even born. When he was born I introduced him to his little doll. When he turned 3 he named the doll Timmy and said that when it was his birthday it was Timmy’s so we would make Timmy a cuupcake for his birthday. After many washes we have had to draw on Timmy’s face and pick the pilly balls off his body. Now my son is 12 years old and has decided to put Timmy away to show his children. We have put him in a bag and pressed it closed. I must say when my son goes to have dental work done or goes into the hospital we pull Timmy out..
My daughter, 11 months, loves a Steiff teddy bear that I bought myself as a souvenir at FAO Schwarz when on a trip to NY City. We name all of her toys, no matter what and this guy is “Stewart”. She doesn’t walk yet but she crawls around with him by his arm or let, cries if he goes over the side of the crib and sleeps with him. He also has to sit in the highchair with her when eating or she’ll cry until he does. I think it’s cute and I’m always saying, “Where is Stewart!!!” as we pack her bags and go places!
My 1 year old doesn’t have a special attachment to any of her many toys and blankets, though I kinda wish she did- to give me a sure fire way to comfort her when I’m not around. I think I’M her woobie! (which we call a lovey in my family)
My “woobie” is actually a teddy bear named Bosley that my parents gave me when I was 16 and in the hospital. I am now 44, and sleep with that bear every night. My kids don’t have “woobies”, least not yet, they’re only 15.
My eldest has a stuffed puppy named, “Pup”. My preschooler has a little plush sea turtle named, “Ribbit”. (I don’t know how that name happened.) Both have been lost and recovered on multiple occasions. Fortunately, “loveys” aren’t allowed to leave the house. We say, “What if he got lost and someone else took him?” and the fear of that keeps them SAFE at home. I, myself, have my favorite song, “God Is Watching Over You” by Phil Joel. The lyrics make my bad days better and instill confidence in me.
My daughers woobie is a giraffe named Melmin. My husband and I bought him on a trip to Downtown Disney minus children. We lost Melmin for a few weeks and my husband and I actually planned a trip to Orlando to buy another one. We found Melmin and she has many others but that first Melmin is so special to her.
My daughter, who is now 15 months old, was really attached to a little stuffed Piglet from Winnie the Pooh. She carried that thing EVERYWHERE, even before she was walking. And when we left the house she would go into a panic until she had him. But over the past month or so she seems to have lost interest in him. Now she loves this big stuffed blue pillow, and she wants to take that everywhere! Hopefully she switches over to something smaller
My older son had a particular pillow case he was attatched to. My youngest son has a child size sleeping bag, unzipped, with SpongeBob on it that is his blanket. We call it his Bob Bob Bankie. It’s well worn and well loved, but it’s hanging in there!
My 3 year old daughter has a small blankie that is satin on one side and soft velour on the other side. She has had “blankie” since she was a newborn and then when she was about 18 months old, she saw Frosty the Snowman on TV and became attached to a snowman stuffed animal she named Frosty. She takes blankie and Frosty virtually everywhere with her and sleeps with them every night. She even insisted upon a “Frosty the Snowman” birthday party when she turned 3. Nevermind that her birthday is in May.
I never has a security toy or blankie when I was a kid and my 15 month old daughter doesn’t either. She could careless about a “woobie” and I really hope she never gets attached to anything like it but we will see
My oldest, 4, has a “woobie”. It’s a blue knit blanket that my step-grandmother knitted for him while I was pregnant. It is so worn that I asked her to knit another to replace it. She happily obliged. I put them both in the wash one day and only pulled the new one out of the dryer and gave it to him. He’s no fool…he smelled it and said that’s not blankie. All I could do was laugh in amazement and give him “blankie” back. Fortunately, blankie now stays on his bed with Pluto and is for sleeping only.
My little one, almost 2, has a soft brown blanket called BROWNIE and his pacifier which is called a PLUG, adapted from “mute plug”-ha! My other darling 4 year old has the same blanket, in yellow and he named it SUNSHINE! Wherever we go, Brownie and Sunshine come along too!
All four of my boys had the same woobies while very young. A “Suck” (pacifier) and a “Rag”. A Rag was any receiving blanket, started because I used them while nursing as a giant burp rag. When we’d give up nursing, we would comfort with the “suck and rag”. Even when the pacifiers were given up (early to help prevent issues like speech and dental problems), Rags stayed around until they were ready to give them up. The great thing was, none of them was ever attached to a specific Rag, they were interchangeable, washable, replaceable, and inexpensive!
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