My daughter apparently does not cope with change very well. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's got some pretty serious issues.
Back story: Once upon a time ago, I made Chloe a quilt for her bed. A really cute one, matching the farm theme of her bedroom. The first and only quilt I'll ever make, because quilting is far too tedious for a woman like me. I spent countless hours cutting squares, sewing them together, then tying it all together. The first night she slept under her new quilt, she had an awful nightmare about the Grinch living in her bed and trying to eat her toes under that beautiful new quilt.
She's never slept in her bed since then.
She sleeps on the couch. She's slept on the couch for a couple of years now. I'm sure it sounds ridiculous, but there are more important battles to fight. I figured come this January, when she turns seven, we'd get her a nice new bed, maybe even a bunk bed if she wants to share a room with her sister.
Fast forward to today:
My cousin called. They're getting a new couch, would we like theirs? Heck yeah we would - ours is pretty darn ratty looking. There's dog hair ingrained into the cushions, the cat's used one arm as a scratching post, and a small child has claimed it as her bed for two years. I'd love something 'new'. While Chloe was downstairs watching a movie, we started moving the old one out to make room for the new one tomorrow.
Oh good heavens, what an ordeal this has proven to be. I never thought an ugly old couch could be worth so many tears and so much drama. We came home from looking at Christmas lights tonight and I put some cider on the stove to warm. Lo and behold, when I go looking for Chloe, she's curled up on one of the old couch cushions crying her little eyes out. "I just don't handle change well," she sobs into my shoulder.
We gave her options. She can share the room with her sister and we can get a bunk bed. We can make over the TV room downstairs and she can have her very own room with a fancy new bed and dresser and even paint, if she wants it. "I want the basement bedroom... but can we put the couch down there?(sob)" I promised her we'd keep the couch. I even promised her she can take it with her when she moves out. If we have to keep that couch until she's old enough to live on her own? So help me God, if it makes the child happy, I'll do it. But seriously - this kind of attachment... to a couch?
She's asleep on the floor of her sister's bedroom now until we can move her beloved old couch to the basement. She opted to fore go a pillow and is instead curled up with... a couch cushion.
And of course, monkey see, monkey do. Cora sobs to me, "Change, mama. Change couch. Sad. Crying." So Cora's got one of the other cushions, and both are finally sound asleep. :o)
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4 comments:
ohmygosh i laughed so hard. i'm sorry, but i did. i can totally see andrew like that. he's a boy, but sleeps with like 7 blankies and a whole herd of stuffed animals. if one's missing, he knows it. he threw up on his favortie giraffe last night. thankfully he was too tired to care that it couldnt sleep with him. oh i can totally see this happening at my house.
Sometimes the things they get attached to are surprising. For Sebastian, it's a hairbrush. A blue hairbrush that he's had since he was an infant. He carries it around whenever he is at our house, but won't take it to his dad's because he is terrified his dad will throw it away. Every now and then I have to steal it and clean it. Soak it in scalding hot water and bleach, because he totes the thing all over and it gets encrusted with dirt and grime and nasty. He doesn't even brush his hair with it. Just carries it around. And he is almost 11.
If nothing else, you may be able to convince her to let you put a cover slip on the old couch so it will look nicer. Also tell her it will help it to stay in good enough condition for her to keep, which it will.
omg, this is sooo cute! Well, maybe not cute for you - at least right now perhaps!! Cute little Cora...
I have this horrendous pink chair in my basement. I should take a pic and e-mail it to you. It looks like it's peed all over (juice box spills), has stuffing and foam coming out b/c there's a huge rip that's been repaired (by my 11 year old) then ripped and repaired and ripped, and has no support. My husband also sits in it. I has to be propped up against a wall, or it'll flop down slowly. Anyway, they'll never allow me to get rid of it. My husband and 11 year old know they are averse to change. It helps them to know they don't do well with change. Acknowledgement is the first step, right?!
Hey Julie..... I'm back to blogging.... jsyk.
When I have time, I'll have to go back and read some of your blogs... I've definitely missed reading them.... you are such a great writer!
(((hugs)))
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