AIBU to consider cutting up DD's comfort object

[vvviola]

It sounds worse than it is, honest

DD2 (almost 3) got very attached to my dressing gown - I suspect because I wore it during our endless frequent night feeds right up until I stopped bf just before she turned 2. She lies on it, uses it as a blanket, cuddles it, hides under it. No problem, I have another one and it has been great in helping us sort out her sleep issues. It stays at home so isn't being dragged around.

But.

I'm not tiny. It's a big fluffy dressing gown. And we have some travel coming up. A few big road trips, a few plane trips, and then at the end of the year a big plane journey, some backpacking and another big plane journey. The dressing gown would take up an entire carry on.

I'm a bit tempted to cut off the arm, or a big square before our road trip at the end of the month and bring that with us instead. That way she would still have it to cuddle etc, but we wouldn't be lugging a massive dressing gown everywhere.

But it kind of feels mean to even consider cutting it up because she is so attached to it.

So - WIBU to cut it up? Or not?

[Artistic]

My DD had a fleece blanket like this & we HAD to take it all over with us. We got a bit worried about losing it so cut it in half when she was about 2years old. She didn't notice much as each half was quite big. This way if one got lost we had the other. Luckily both are still with us. DD is 7 and still sleeps with it.

[Londonladybird]

When I was little I had a book called Geraldine's Blanket... I think that the mum cuts a large blanket to a size suitable for one of her dolls- can't quite remember! You could try something similar, and get the boom too as it was lovely !

[vvviola]

I thought I'd update...

Our first trip away is today. DD2 and I have talked a lot about maybe having to cut some of "cuggy" to take it away with us. She seemed ok with the idea.

But she's been really sick since Friday. She's on the mend now.

But last night at bedtime out of the blue she burst into tears and said "no cut cuggy for going away".

So big softy that I am, and because we're going by car, I'm tempted to just bring the massive thing anyway and deal with it later. But dealing with it later means in a month when we're getting on a plane most likely just with carry on luggage, so definitely won't be able to bring it.

Why couldn't she just have a teddy bear like most other children?!

[AntiDistinctlyMintyMunty]

She sounds very sweet OP . Hope she gets better very soon

[deepbluetr]

vvv- does sound like the wrong time to cut the thing up as she has been ill.
I would try again in a month or two, but I echo solidbrass about taking off a sleeve, and don't do it just before a trip.

Doing anything else like cutting it up, making a toy coat etc are irreversible. Taking off a sleeve is not.

Have a goo at the construction first though.

[SixerofthePixies]

Runs in screaming Nooooooo

Please don't do this. It won't be the same for her. It's not just the smell/feel it's how you sleep with it. Just don't do it! She can't lie under it, wrap herself in it or use it as a blanket if she only has an arm.

In case you hadn't guessed I had a blanket. My mum still asks now if I'd like her to turn it into a cushion. I don't want a bloody cushion that's my blanket!

[HSMMaCM]

Take your carry on luggage, you or she can wear it as a naff coat, she can use it as a blanket on the plane.

[antarctic]

Agree with deepblue, don't do it just before a trip!

[vvviola]

Or you know, we could be 90 minutes down the road and remember that we left it at home on the couch in our rush to get out before the traffic

She's still got her soft toy, but this could be a long 3 nights!

She's playing happily at the moment but bedtime is in about 30 minutes and it could be very very bad....

[SixerofthePixies]

I used to use a large bath towel if for whatever reason I didn't have it with me. It wasn't the same but it was ok. Might be worth a try.

[SixerofthePixies]

A soft toy won't work (well wouldn't have for me) as it's not a blanket type thing. Hard to understand I guess but for me it was the way it fitted with me, I had a particular way of sleeping with it. You can't snuggle into a bear no matter how much you like it! I realise I sound like a nutter!

[beachyhead]

Oops, let us know how it goes...

[vvviola]

She does sleep with the soft toy too, so she's used to sleeping with it. Unfortunately it's "cuggy" or nothing from the blanket point of view - MIL just gave her a dressing gown of the exact same material but smaller and a different colour - no chance.

She does seem to understand (so far) that cuggy is at home in her bed. May not be quite so understanding at 2am!

[vvviola]

HSMM it's a large adult size dressing gown, there's no way a tiny 3 year old could wear it (and frankly there's a limit as to how ridiculous I will look for my children!).

If this trip isn't totally horrendous then I may consider going with just the soft toy for our next trip, but that still leaves the dilemma of the big move and potentially 3 months without it.

[antarctic]

Oh my goodness, good luck OP!

[vvviola]

SixerofPixies I think you might be the grown up version of DD2. Do you have a thing for dinosaurs and the minions from Despicable Me too?

What you've described is exactly how she seems to treat it. I take it you wouldn't have survived 3 months, new house, big trip in strange country and lots of flights without it?

[CadleCrap]

Could you post it to your new address once you do your bid move?

[vvviola]

Yes, that's a possibility I suppose. We'd be 10 days without it as we travelled, but it may be the way to do it - and take the approach of a "holiday toy" for the trip, then reunited when we arrive .

[vvviola]

Well she's found a temporary substitute: me!

Which is funny considering it was a replacement for me/breastfeeding in the first place.

I'm currently contorted on a camp bed in MIL's spare room as she drapes herself across me. although it could be more comfortable than MIL's spare bed which feels like it's made of concrete

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

Oh I'd post it to the new place, that's a much better idea. She's managed to get through this trip without it so you can reinforce the idea that cuggy doesn't go on holiday, then have it there for the new home.

I'd normally be trying to think of a way round it, but a move is a really big thing (as you know) - it will go much more smoothly with her comfort object. Or pay for a case on the flight.

[AttentionSeekingFantasist]

Can you do it gradually, before the big trip - remove sleeve, but fit poppers so it can be reattached in case of meltdown. Practice going out with 'travel cuggy' for short journeys. Repeat until normalised.

[AttentionSeekingFantasist]

And then post the main section to new place as per PP suggestion.

[vvviola]

LonnyVonny we will have cases for the big move shudders at thought of trying it without them but not a lot of space, so wanted to have a smaller "cuggy" to deal with if possible.

The no-cases trip is in a month. And I love the sleeve-attached-by-poppers idea. That may just work.

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

I can tell you right now op I
Just looked into dd1 room and under her pillow is blankie she's 15.

However also under ds2 bed, he's at work, is cottibump he's freaking 23.

Never underestimate the power of the comforter.

[2kidsintow]

We had to cut up dd1 's comfort object. It was that or bin it. She had a lovely lacey blanket that she too everywhere. One day her Dh was playing with her and thought it funny to pop it on too of the light fitting. The three bulbs melted 3 holes in the blanket.

I made him take her to choose another blanket and talked to her about what we could do with the rest of the original one. In the end we cut it into 3 wide strips, cutting out the melted bit. I intended to make a cushion cover for her put of at least one, but she just carried the strips around over her shoulder.

She's 13 now and still has at least one strip on her bed now.