Mazzy's blankie is named Boo. She came up with the name because we used to play "peek-a-boo" with her blankie when she was little.
Boo started as two old t-shirts of mine sewed together into a square. I put it in her crib when she first transitioned from the bassinet because I read that something with my smell would be comforting.
Every year or so, Boo starts to look like he could disintegrate in the next load of laundry, so we make/buy a new one and try to convince Mazzy that she loves this Boo just as much as the last.
We have had great success getting Mazzy to love the new Boo. Unfortunately, we have had less success convincing her to abandon the old Boo. She just adds them to her growing stockpile and carries them around all at once.
She refers to them lovingly as her "Boos".
We are in the process of convincing Mazzy to leave her Boos at home but sometimes she successfully convinces me to take them along in my purse.
The other day, we were in a restaurant when Mazzy said to me, "Mom, do you have my Boos in your purse?"
And I said, "No sweetie, I don't. You can only have Boos at home."
It took me second to realize why I was getting a strange look from the waitress.
BOOZE IN MY PURSE.
For a three-year-old.
Derr.
Mazzy's Booze has been documented often. There was "The Importance of Boo" which talks about how Boo is more important than everyone and everything (including me) and there was "The Death of Boo" which was obviously premature.
Boo has more lives than a cat. Boo is like a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun, making him even less likely to meet his demise.
Wow. I just googled "Vampire Cat" and they are much more adorable than you would expect.
Anyway, I've been thinking Boo is on his way out for at least two years now, but it seems like every time I try to enforce some "Boo Control" (i.e. You can keep Boo at home but you can't smuggle it to a birthday party and place it on the table next to the cake so everyone thinks a dirty dishrag is moving in on their dessert), it only makes him stronger.
Months ago, my cousin gave us a book called Owen, in which the title character has a blankie. Every time I took out the book to read it, Mazzy would throw it clear across the room, shouting "NO! THAT'S A TERRIBLE BOOK!!!!"
After a few weeks of this, I told my sister. Just because I thought it was funny that Mazzy so vehemently hated a book we had never read.
My sister laughed. "I read that book to Mazzy when you first got it. Do you know what it's about?"
No. No, I did not.
"Owen has a blankie and everyone is suggesting ways for the parents to help him get rid of it. Finally, the mom cuts the blankie into pieces to sew them into his backpack. I guess Mazzy didn't want you to get any ideas!"
And there you go. Boo's life saved once again.
Last weekend, we were out at another restaurant. After the meal was finished and we were paying the check, Mazzy said the words I fear I'll hear every time Boo exits the house.
"WHERE'S MY BOO???!!!"
I looked at the table. Totally cleared.
Mike and I exchanged worried looks.
Boo is as old of a rag as they come. How would a waiter know that it was our most prized possession? The thing on which our sanity teeters? The rag our lives revolve around?
Mazzy got that look on her face. The puppy dog one where her eyes well up and her lip starts quivering and you know it's just a matter of moments before her inner demon is unleashed.
FYI- Demon Puppies are also much cuter than you would think.
I ran to find our waiter. "Did you happen to see a tattered purple rag in four pieces and mistake it for garbage when you cleared the table?"
"Uhhhhh…"
"DID YOU??????!!!!!"
"Ummmm…."
"Where did you put the garbage?!"
The waiter took me into the kitchen where I stood face to face with a huge trash bin full of wilted lettuce, shrimp tails, gnawed on steak bones, and slimy pieces of chicken skin.
Gulp. Gag.
YOU CAN DO THIS.
Gulp. Gag.
BOO NEEDS YOU!!!!
Breeeeeeeathe…
Okay, I thought. I'm going in!
Just then, Mike swung open the door, holding a triumpant Mazzy.
"We found Boo in the BATHROOM!!!!" she yelled proudly while lifting her Boo to the sky like Simba in the Lion King.
Life #457. Saved.
Thank God.
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Does your kid have a comfort item? What is it and when do you plan on getting rid of it?
UPDATE: I have a better idea. Post a picture of your kid's object of affection on the Mommy Shorts facebook fanpage. By itself without your child. Give me a brief description including its name, the name of its owner, and years in use.
There is no getting rid of them! My children don’t have any boos or bears or special things (even though there is hardly anywhere to sleep with all the stuff that needs to be in bed with them, somethign different every night), but my friends daughter will be ten this month and she still tries to smuggle her blankie with her. Home is where her blankie is. Apart from that she is an intelligent and wise and cool girl, there is just nothing in the world as comforting as blankie. Her brother of 13 years old would never admit to it, but he also would never sleep without his blankie.
So maybe you should sew all the blankies together like a quilt so you only have one to carry around…
One day, Boo will lose its Svengalian hold on Mazzy and become overnight just another faded scrap of her childhood. If you have one iota of sentiment in your soul, you’ll save at least one tattered piece. Years later, when you come across the remains, “Sunrise,Sunset” will start on continuous loop in your brain and you’ll clutch Boo and mourn Mazzy’s long gone childhood, wondering why you made such a big deal about a little girl finding comfort in her blankie.
My 7 year old boy still has “Blue Blankie” (cuz we’re super-original around here when naming things). He doesn’t take it with him anywhere, but he must have it for bedtime every night and it sneaks around the house when he’s tired or watching tv. Woe be the day that Blue Blankie bites the dust.
My ribbon (satin binding from a blanket) lasted until I was 11 or so….I took it to camp in the bottom of my sleeping bag, but it disappeared! My mom it turns out, had asked our counselor to help me lose it. I was so busy at camp I didn’t notice it was gone until the end of the week when we packed up. I think the Boos are cute.
One of my best friends, who is 33 still has a pillow she has had since she was little. While it doesn’t go to work, etc., with her she does sleep and travel with it!
Good luck!
I took my blankie to university with me… it stayed in my pajama drawer, but I knew it was there. Now my son (3) sleeps with it.
My daughter (17 months) is so attached to hers that I made 4 identical ones for laundry days and daycare, and there’s always one nearby in case of emergency.
At least Boo is relatively small. She could have got attached to a giant panda.
My 8-year-old still sleeps with her blankie and favorite stuffed animal. She stopped the needing to carry it everywhere at about 4, and stopped taking it to school at about 5. My 10-year-old transferred her affections to different stuffed animals over the years. She stopped carrying one everywhere at 3. She still owns them but gave up sleeping with them during our most recent move this past summer. If you want her to give it up, my advice would be to ignore it. The more she knows you want her to leave it, the more she will want it.
Okay, my boyfriend would kill me for sharing this (he’s the one embarrassed about it), but I still sleep with my blankie (named Blankie) that I had as a baby. I will have to take a picture and send it to you. It’s so worn down that I risk it falling a part every time I wash it (which is about every three months). So many pieces have fallen off from too hard of tugs and the cats playing with it. The ends are fraying and it looks horrid. But, I’ll sleep with that thing until the day I die.
My boyfriend hid it from me the other night and we literally got into an argument over it and it lasted for a day and a half. Not even kidding.
If what you don’t like is people seeing her clutching a seemingly dirty rag everywhere you go, have her go pick out a cute little bag/purse. Make it Boos’Bag- a nice comfy place for Boos to ride along and be safe so they’re never lost.
My daughter was never attached to anything, but when she was 6 my husband and I separated. Then she became very attached to a stuffed animal her aunt had given her a year or two before. That was about 2 years ago and she still needs to sleep with Dandelion. It’s funny, she’ll tough it out for a sleepover, but if she wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t find Dandelion, she’ll turn on the light to retrieve it. I say “it” because she refers to Dandelion as both he and she. So that’s my daughter’s lovey, an androgynous stuffed lion.
My son has never been attached to anything but me (my boob actually). I tried everything including silklies, lovies, animals, etc. etc. He never wanted one. He still falls asleep with me with a hand on my chest. I love it but honestly, he’s getting a little old 🙂
That is the most amazing idea I have ever heard. Why didn’t I think of that???
I love seeing that you’ve finally caught up! It’s been fun watching you comment on all my old posts:)
My daughter has a blankie and there is no plans to get rid of it since I myself still have my blanket that I looove from when I wa younger!!! Your situation is precarious because shirts fall apart and mazzy wants boo always Anna only wants blankie when sleeping or wanting to cuddle!!! It is a nightmare if we leave that blanket at the sitters!!
So I totally have a blanket and my husband used to say he was going to throw it away I had my grandma help me to go it up we put my original blanket in between fabric and made me a new blanket not liable to fall apart and it’s still my blanket!!!
My sons, now 19 and 17, both had blankies when they were younger and they still have them. They had two each so that the blankies could be washed one at a time. The binding on all of the blankies eventually came off and Wonder Grannie put new binding on all. There was even a little fold of extra binding in one corner that the now 19yo had to be holding to fall asleep – When he was younger and had to be hospitalized several times those blankies were priceless. One of them started wearing thin and – even though people said to throw it out, Wonder Grannie rewove it and managed to keep the magic binding. My 17yo still sleeps with one of his – referring to it as his footie blankie. With everything that has gone on in their lives, I am grateful that they have something that still gives them comfort.
My son was attached to a wooden Percy the engine from his train track for a good year. That left interesting indentations on his face when he woke up from cuddling it. At least Boo is soft. We lost it on the way home from Gymboree once on a day Daddy (second favourite comfort) was working out of town for the week. I prayed a lot that night. Eventually he just outgrew it. It took us a little while to get used to being able to breathe normally despite not knowing the prescise location of a small no longer green wooden train.
My daughter is fickle and alternates her lovey of choice. I think so she can yell when we offer her last week’s favourite.
Mickey Mouse doll – that guy comes with us EVERYWHERE!!! We watch him everyday, wear his shoes and tshirts – its become an obsession that I regret sponsoring.
My husband who is 38 still sleeps with the blanket his grandmother made him when he was a baby. He has told me that in the event of a fire, his blanket is the first thing he will save (I’m hoping he means first after he saves me and the kids, but who knows).
My son’s blanket is getting really worn down and I wanted to get another one but the company discontinued it! I bought a similar one but he calls it “mama’s blanket” and tries to give it back to me every time I try to put it on his bed.
I had a stuffed leopard named boo boo kitty…if I’m being honest I still have her. She now lives on a shelf in my sons room. I love her dearly and never really parted with her. She went to college with me and in my first apartment. I knew my husband was the one because he didn’t even care that my childhood teddy lived on my bookshelf. Now don’t think I’m so weirdo she has no slept in bed with me since I was young and I do not carry her around but she is there to remind me of an unending love. She was my first friend and she always will be.
Have you considered turning Original and Old Boo into display pieces? I think you’ve mentioned before how much she loves her Mazzy blanket, maybe make a shadow box type thing to hang on the wall next to it. It could have the Boos and a note from her saying that she loves them. Then they would always be safe, she would technically have them near her when she sleeps, and she could see them whenever. And the only one you would have to worry about maybe leaving the house would be New Boo who doesn’t look like a rag lol. My son never became attached to anything like that, but it’s sort of what I had planned to do if he did.
My little brother had a blue blanket he named “Bunny,” for some reason. When he was about 5 or 6 the cleaning woman threw it away by accident.
Or so we thought. About 20 years later my mom confessed that that was a lie. She had just hidden it, and still had it! My brother declined to take it back to his apartment.
My daughter has a lovie that she cannot live without. She is only 17 months old. She became attached between 3- 4 mo. and she always knows exactly where it is. I expect she’ll take it to college. I can sew so I made a similar one thinking she’d like a variety and she never acknowledged the one I made. So I bought a second one to keep the rotation going when one needs a bath. She comes by it honestly. I am 39 and still sleep with the bear I have had since I was very small. Bear has been everywhere with me- camp, sleepovers, Hebrew School Confirmation trip, college, my 6 months abroad, my honeymoon and beyond. My girl will sit in bed with me and rub her lovie on her cheek and hand me my bear to do the same.
I have a cat from “the get-a-long gang” cartoon from the eighties. “Zipper Cat” went everywhere with me as a kid. On my wedding day my dad waited until it was just me and him about to walk down the aisle. Then showed me that he had Zipper Cat in his suit coat pocket! It was the best thing ever!
My daughter has a Lovey (pink elephant) and a Blankie. Lovey isn’t as important as it was the first two years, but I now have three of them – 2 found on eBay the second I realized she went everywhere with it. Blankie was originally my soft and satin travel Brookstone NAP blanket that she found and never let go at 18 months. At least that means I have access up replacements! Every time someone at school (she is 3) comments “she has the NICEST blanket! I wish I had one that soft!” I mumble under my breathe that they can have one…for the small price of $40.
My sister is 23 and married but “Koala” is in a special place in her closet and she told me that it is the first thing she would grab if there was a fire.
At 3 my daughter knows her blankie cannot leave the house unless were going on a trip over night somewhere. She still tries to smuggle it outside to play occasionally, which then turns into a total melt down because I’m the bad guy. Nana made her a new blankie, but that is no substitute!
My kiddos never had much of a lovie unless you count my boobs… But I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t post a picture of them on your Facebook page 😉
My step son is a married 23 year old. He’s 6′ 5″ muscle bound State Trooper and a Captain in the National Guard. In August he left on a 6 month training deployment to MO. Guess what went with him???? SHEET. A one foot by one foot tattered piece of crib sheet. And don’t give him shit about sheet, he gets indignant. “Yeah I got a lovey, you wanna make something of it????” kind of attitude.
My best friend and I shared a room in college. She still has a small silky piece from her blanket she had as a kid and still sleeps with it nightly. I asked her husband about it and he said, “Oh I know better than to mess with that”. She has 2 kids of her own but still has her satin piece. Don’t underestimate the staying power of boo.
Haha! I dated a guy before my now husband who carried pocket size pieces of his one time blankie in his pocket as an adult and would even pull them out and hold them in the palm of his hand when nervous or stressed! I’m assuming he had the full size thing somewhere hidden!
My son has a stuffed Curious George he does not carry it around or even play with it but it has to be in his bed with him every night. He got it for his first birthday and is now 3 1/2. We all thought he would be a blankie kid because when he was a baby he had to have a blanket up by his face to sleep or even over his head. But I was scared of him having a life long blankie dragging behind him so I changed the blanket out constantly so it would have a different texture, feel and smell so he would not get attached to just one.
You can also put the attachment item in a brand new build a bear. She can stuff it in there and know it is in there and no one else has to be the wiser.
Unless she freaks out and makes you rip the seams. LOL
Bad news mommy shorts…
I’m 25 and still have my baba (blue blanket) that my husband refers to as a towel it’s so tattered. I still sleep with it, travel out of town with it, and it’s the best comfort when I’m sick. It went to cheer camp, college, and my honeymoon with me (SUPER sexy). I somehow take comfort in the fact that it’s been through everything with me (so childish, I know). We recently had an incident were my daughter fell asleep with it in her death grip, and I had to seriously weigh the pros and cons to decide if waking her up just to get it back was worth the risk. I decided of course she could enjoy the baba comforts for one night — and that waking a sleeping toddler could result in a hellacious night. But she’s the ONE exception.
The good news is she may end up with a well traveled and well educated boo, like I have. 🙂
I’m 34. I still have my baby blanket near by
Just an idea for washing Boo to prolong his (its?) health… We’ve always washed sensitive things – including my blankie! – that are on their last legs inside a pillowcase or some kind of laundry bag to keep them from unraveling in the wash. I realize this is much more self-satisfying for Mazzy than for you, but just an idea!
(I’m 23 now, and my baby blanket’s name was Tickle. I carried it everywhere until I was 13, at which point I had a pre-teen epiphany of sorts and concluded that at the birth of the next child in our family, I’d give it to the next deserving soul. That child, now 9, still has Tickle!)
I did this with my daughter’s (2 at the time) favorite “popper”/ paci when we got rid of them. Following two horrible night screaming at me to rip open the bear, trying to find scissors, and crying- she now HATES that bear.
Seemed like a good idea at the time…
YES. Blankie. My son will look for Blankie by wandering around the apartment calling, “Blankie, blankie, blankie? Blankie?” as if Blankie will come running out from under the sofa and jump into his arms. Uh huh. Not happening. He has been overly attached to his Blankie since about 9 months old. He’s now 18 months old. My new rule is that Blankie doesn’t come on short trips (to the grocery store, restaurants, my parent’s house for the afternoon) because I am terrified that he will get lost and I’ll be screwed. The exact blanket isn’t made anymore. I’ve tried replacements but he knows and immediately throws them to the side and yells for Blankie. He even knows at night if he’s half asleep and I try to sneak in an imposter. No getting around that kid.
My now 13 year old had what was a white blanket. I quickly turned grey and nasty. When he was almost three we went to a Kmart that was closing the next day and he lost it. I think it got thrown away, we called for days to try and find it! But he only asked about it once or twice and when I told him he lost it at the store he would say ok and move on. So it worked out alright, I was super stressed about it though!
My son has a plush little dog head and arms mounted on an 18″ square of soft fuzziness. The head and arms have a little ribbon around them and are mounted in the very center of the square. This, my friends, is “Blue Puppy,” the king of all artifacts.
My little guy squeals with delight when he sees him at bed time, grips him tightly when we go on long car rides, generally calms down the moment he sees it, and uses it to wipe away tears. The bad thing is, it was a gift from someone, and one my wife and I realized that we should probably keep a backup hidden away some where. The bad news is that the company that made it discontinued it. We can’t find it on ebay or anywhere else. This is the one true “Blue Puppy,” …there can be only one.
I brought mine on my honeymoon too! It has also attended each of my hospital stays while having my kids. I had to keep taking it off of my babies because the nurses kept wrapping them in it. Looking back I suppose I could see how they assumed the baby blanket was for the baby. Haha! My 4th child became attached to my blankie, and I had the same weigh it out issues as she was sleeping with it squeezed in her arms! After about 2 months of her bogarting my blankie (just as I was adjusting to life with out it) she substituted in a different blanket and 3 years later we are both still happily sleeping with our blankie and deedee 🙂
To the best of my knowledge, I never had or needed a blankie. Instead I grew up with cats, so that was my lovie to snuggle with at night.
My child has a stuffed gummy bear, like from the gummy bear video with the song that you can watch on youtube. My sister scoured the internet to get it for him for his birthday, apparently it’s a hard find. We wont let him take it out in public, but he needs it to sleep. The poor bears nose is falling off. I have no clue how or when we are going to take it away. No one is allowed to touch it but him, so we will be lucky if we can ever get the nose sewn back on.
I’d send you a picture of both of my kids’ lovies but (GASP!) I do not have facebook (nor do I want one). So instead I’ll tell you about them.
My son has a once-light blue pillow case that has faded to white (from the many bleachings it has had) and a small yellow Carter’s duck that (was supposed to be)clipped onto his crib and played a lullaby. Seven years later and he’s still going strong with the pillowcase, but alas, Ducky got lost in a move 3 years ago.
My daughter has a bear blanket that my Te-Taunte (great aunt) made her and a crazy look TY beanie person looking thing called Jammer. Both are going strong 8 1/2 years later although Jammer’s hair and the washing machine got into it about 6 years ago and the machine won so instead of long yellow hair (think troll doll-esque) it now has a yellow afro.
Both children have to have their lovies to go to bed and they still take them on overnight trips.
I’d send you a picture of both of my kids’ lovies but (GASP!) I do not have facebook (nor do I want one). So instead I’ll tell you about them.
My son has a once-light blue pillow case that has faded to white (from the many bleachings it has had) and a small yellow Carter’s duck that (was supposed to be)clipped onto his crib and played a lullaby. Seven years later and he’s still going strong with the pillowcase, but alas, Ducky got lost in a move 3 years ago.
My daughter has a bear blanket that my Te-Taunte (great aunt) made her and a crazy look TY beanie person looking thing called Jammer. Both are going strong 8 1/2 years later although Jammer’s hair and the washing machine got into it about 6 years ago and the machine won so instead of long yellow hair (think troll doll-esque) it now has a yellow afro.
Both children have to have their lovies to go to bed and they still take them on overnight trips.
(Side note) Not sure what happened to my comment earlier. Stupid login error.
Not sure but #BoobsTheNewLovie might actually surpass #BabyMugging on twitter. It might become a new thing. (Just sayin! LOL)
my younger brother had a blanket made by our aunt when was a baby, he is 13 and he still sleeps with it and brings it on overnight trips.
my younger sister blankie (a receiving blanket that she had from the hospital) was used to wrap up the family dog after he was hit by a car. my son was born in the same hospital as my sister they still use the same receiving blankets immediately she asked if she could have one when he had out grown them.
My name is Willa. I’m almost thirteen, and please let me first say that I adore your blog. I’m the oldest of four kids (ages 12 [me], 11, 8, and 4). All of us still have our comfort objects, and all of us sleep with them every night.
For me, it’s a tattered elephant toy that plays a sweet melody when you pull his tail (“Elephant”), still, after countless years of wear. I also have a bunny stuffed animal modeled after goodnight moon (“Bunny”), and another elephant (“Hugo”). I’ve always thought of them as a family, and of Elephant and Hugo as the two (yes, gay) parents.
My 11 year old sister has an old “Sandra Boynton” style chicken, Kari, and a TwinkleToes lamb named Lila. My 8 year old sister cannot survive without her stuffed TwinkleToes lion, Rumba.
And my 4 year old brother absolutely lives for his skunk, Stinky, and his adorable bear / bunny plush, Cookie Dough.
Okay, my name is Bella, I’m ten, and I LOVE this blog.
I had my thumb as a comfort item.