Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Gigi on Vacation

This past weekend. I went away without my husband and kids! At first I missed them terribly, but after the first day, it was wonderful. And I was so thrilled that my husband was able to hold down the fort. While I was away, my son almost lost his beloved blanket - his gigi - the object that he has been deeply attached to since he was 3 months old - handmade, irreplaceable - and at times, the bane of our existance. Why did I let my son become attached to something one-of-a-kind, when it is so easy to lose it?

As it turned out, he found Gigi - but decided not to tell my son and see if we could wean him off it once and for all. Granted, the weaning process had already started. M was starting to become attached to other objects (library books, a stuffed dog, and even a magnetic letterJ!) and asked for Gigi much less often. But still. This was BIG deal. And I admit that I have become attached to Gigi as well. How could I not be? That little rag has provided my dear son with endless hours of comfort in times of need.

So far, we're doing OK. We've told him that Gigi is "on vacation." And I know that in a pinch, I can always retrieve it from the wicker chest and give it back to him. I also know that I need to show him that I am confident that he will be fine without it. The past few months have been ones of tremendous growth for my little boy - from making friends at school to going potty by himself to tantrumming much less. I am very proud. And I want to let him know that I know he can do it without Gigi.

Still, it's not easy.

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