“Well that toy looks well loved…”
I am sure many of you reading this have children who have a favorite stuffed toy. You know, the toy you can’t leave home without?
My first child never had one of these. Rather, she rotated, and still rotates, from stuffy to stuffy depending on her mood or the occasion.
My second child, however, is a different story. My son has had a favorite stuffy toy since he was two years old – the famous glitter-farting troll, Guy Diamond (or GD for short). GD is larger than most and was (literally) life-size when our little guy started toting him around. Now this stuffy toy is part of our family, so much so, that I introduce him as my third child.
Just recently, my husband asked me if I could remember the exact time GD became a permanent fixture for our son. I couldn’t, beyond knowing it was some time around his second birthday. What does a mom do when she needs to pin-point a memory down? She goes through photos! I pulled out my phone and scrolled photo by photo until I found the first picture of our son holding this stuffy toy. What I found frankly blew our minds.
Shortly after our son turned two, he needed to have surgery. Despite his being very little, we spoke to him briefly about what would happen and we allowed him to bring one stuffy toy along for the ride. This was the toy he chose. On that morning, this stuffy toy was just one of a few that our son liked.
He was understandably out of sorts after surgery, and like most little kids, wanted to hold onto something when he came to. He snuggled GD all of the way home, and they haven’t left each other’s sides since.
Here is the day it all began.
I found myself nostalgic the other day (as I am every day now that our kids are getting big), and I started to think about all of the things my son has learned from having a toy that has provided him with such emotional support throughout these past two years (and counting).
He is learning how to nurture another – As the baby of the family, our son doesn’t have a little sibling to take care of. But every day he and his older sister play family with GD as the baby. They feed him, rock him to sleep, give him band-aids for his booboos, and the list goes on.
He is learning empathy – If his sister gets too rough with GD or says something GD doesn’t like (yes, the stuffy toy has feelings), our son speaks up for him.
He is learning how to share – We always tell our kids that sharing is great, but there are some things that can be so special to you that you do not have to share. But every now and then, our son will hand over GD to his sister to play with, and we give him a lot of emotional credit for that.
He is learning how to express how he is feeling – Our son often expresses how he is feeling by saying GD feels that way. If he’s tired after school and wants to lay down, he will usually say, “GD needs a rest,” (since he’s too stubborn to admit he actually needs one too).
He is learning how to keep track and take care of his belongings – GD is essentially our son’s Knuffle Bunny. Our son is acutely aware at all times where GD is and knows that when we go to the County Fair, GD is safer inside the car than on a Ferris wheel.
He is learning how to multitask – Our son can do anything with just one hand, and he is also semi-ambidextrous, as he can handily throw a ball with his non-dominant arm, as one arm is always holding GD.
He is learning to be gentle – He may spend his entire day racing matchbox cars and jumping off of the furniture, but he always treats GD with the utmost care.
He is learning the value of companionship – “You’ve got a friend in me.” He always makes space for GD, whether it be on the couch, in the car, or in a store.
He is learning how to self soothe – There is often no problem GD cannot cure. If he hurts himself or has a temper tantrum, GD is often the first thing he asks for (even more than Mommy).
One day, when our son no longer needs or wants this stuffy toy, my husband and I will cry. I will probably sleep with it for a while, even if it smells. And then, once my husband pries it out of my emotionally fragile hands, we will probably place it in a picture box for safe keeping, for him to tell stories to his own children (should he want them) when he is grown.
I like to think that our son will grow into a wonderful father, not just because of what my husband and I have taught him, but also because of the love and care he has shown to his beloved stuffy toy over these years.
