My Lovey

I had finished praying magrib, and began to unwrap my headscarf.

“Sunnah mama?” Maryam asked.

That caught me off guard. I had gotten somewhat used to the excuse of being too tired to pray my Sunnah prayers and wasn’t praying them regularly anymore. I’m glad to have someone who calls me out on it.

“Yes, mama, of course.”

As I bring my hands up for my two rakat of Sunnah prayers, I’m wondering about her motives. Maybe she’s trying to postpone bedtime, or maybe she’s really learned that Sunnah is important. Regardless, I finish prayer and begin to assess how preparations for bedtime are going.

Bath? Check

Story time? Check

Blanket? Blanket? Blanket?!

To my utter dismay, her blanket was nowhere in sight. Her blanket is her lovey. She has never slept without it. Letting her get attached to it was a decision we somewhat consciously made back when she was a few months old. Many people have the opinion that it helps kids get through all those tumultuous milestones in their first years (detachingfrom mommy, teething, going to preschool, giving up the pacifier and/or bottle, etc.). Since my husband and I both work, we figured it would be the constant thing she could take with her to give her comfort away from us. So far it has succeeded, but I knew that the day would come when the decision would haunt me. Things get forgotten, left behind, or God-forbid, lost.

I traced back our steps and we had left it in the car. Meanwhile, my husband had just gone out with the car and forgotten his cell phone at home. I needed to make due. I mustered the four most appealing blankets for her to choose, but it seemed to only add to her sadness.We had all these blankets, where was hers? She even complained to her baby doll before she began to wail. Then, we heard the door open. My husband was home, unaware of the plight he just saved us from.

Thankfully, the day that we will have to deal with the loss of a lovey has not come. And I hope it doesn’t ever come before she gives it up on her own. But I will be living with the fear of ever losing or forgetting her blanket again.

One tip for parents with children developing attachments to things: buy duplicates!

Dalal Kanan

Dalal is currently a 4th year PhD student in chemistry living in NJ who above all loves being mom to one gregarious toddler.