[This is from Laura's Blog. She has graciously allowed us to reproduce it here. She earns our undying gratitude. Thank you, Laura!]
A lot of toddlers carry some sort of a security item like a blanket or a favorite stuffed animal. I don't think I did as a child, but I remember very well that my sister did. My mom bought her this hand-woven blanket. It had frills all around it and she used to love brushing those frills on her chin. She loved this blanket so much and she would not part with it not even for a second. She wouldn't even give it up for washing which it very much needed. It got so grungy and over time it became tattered from over-use.
I never understood it but now that I am a parent I finally read about it from Dr. Sears or whoever it was. He says all kids, especially those who spend time away from their parents will usually do something for comfort. Most common was thumbsucking and having a security blanket.
John thumbsucked, which was fine. I'd rather have him sucking on his thumb than carrying a grungy blanket all the freaking time. He doesn't even suck his thumb that often. He only does this right before he goes to sleep.
But Douglas, as always, is another story.
Douglas has me wishing he carried around a grungy old blanket.
Douglas has a thing for women's lingerie. I don't know how he got started on this, but he's been carrying my stuff around ever since I can remember. He doesn't insist on carrying one particular item, it just has to be something that's mine, and it has to be a piece of lingerie or something close to it. He carries my slips, hosiery, bras and other embarrassing items a child could ever carry around. While most kids out there tote their security blankets, my little Douglas has his security lingerie.
It's not anything sexual, and at that age (he's 2), how could it be? My take on it is that he probably just loves the silky material and the lingerie probably reminds him of me at home, laying next to him and Jacob, telling them stories at night. It probably also reminds him of his nursing days, having the same material against his cheeks as when he was breastfeeding. This might also explain his fascination with my bras. He breastfed until he was 22 months old. His pediatrician agrees with my theory and told me not to make a big deal out of it, however embarrassing it might be.
Needless to say he loves rummaging through my underwear drawer.
Douglas just loves silky lingerie. At night when I put on my silk slip he shrieks in excitement and starts clapping his hands, then proceeds to hug me and rub his nose against the material. He's just being my baby.
I love this attention from my baby, but I also can't help but wonder how I would take it when he's older and is admiring another woman in a lingerie.
He often goes to daycare bringing along with him a slip of some sort. He prefers to bring along the one I had used the night before. He probably likes the mommy smell. My husband swears by this too whenever I'm away. If Douglas was missing mommy, all Neil has to do is get a slip from the dirty laundry and give it to him. Sounds gross, I know. But it works. This part I understand and boy am I glad that my daycare provider does too.
Other things, though, are a mystery.
Like the time we went grocery shopping and the item of the day happened to be a pair of pantyhose. I was walking around the store and the kid in my cart had pantyhose pulled over his face. He looked like a baby hijacker. I tried not to make eye contact with anyone at the store.
And today I was caught totally off-guard when he chose a new item from my drawer. I wasn't even aware he took it until it was too late.
We went to church this morning with the kids. Douglasbrings along his Bob the Builder backpack filled with his snacks and some toys to keep him occupied during the service. He usually packs this himself as he is now a "big boy."
So we were sitting at the back pews with the other moms and their kids when he started pulling out his toys. He brought two rubber duckies and he was going to tuck them in and put them to sleep. Then he pulls out the item that was to be used as their "blanket." Now for the life of me I don't understand why this item would be used as a blanket for two rubber duckies, but I try to keep in mind he's only 2.
He took out, to the sheer horror of the other moms, a pair of black thongs.
I didn't exactly know what to say. I tried to take it away from Douglas but he threatened to cry and crying would be a bad thing during church service, and besides, that would only draw more attention to us and soon everyone would know that my son is clutching a pair of black thongs. So I didn't take it away from him. I just had him sit on my lap, let him play with his rubber duckie and thongs there, cover his toys up by wrapping my arms around him.
I'm thinking of having his girlfriend read this particular post some time in the future to get back at him for all the embarrassment he has caused his mother.
But first things first. I really need to put a lock on my underwear drawer.