For the Love of a Bib
Yesterday, for the umpteenth time, my son lost his bib. In your house (hopefully), losing a bib may not be a big deal, but in ours it is cause for a major production.
Why? Because in our house, it’s not just a bib. It’s Devan’s sidekick- his security item of choice, and it’s in his hand at all times. Well…unless it gets lost. Which it frequently does.
I’m not sure exactly when it started, but this love affair with the bib has been going on for a long time. Prior to that, it was a sock. Yep- don’t ask. When Devs was one he would go everywhere clutching his little sock, which he frequently held up to his nose. Naturally, lots of people found that funny (including us), but it was his thing. We even based the theme of his first birthday party on socks, featuring a sock-shaped cake and socks as party favours. Someday he’ll hate me for that, but it was fun at the time.
At some point along the way, the beloved sock was replaced with an alternative just as unusual. Devan discovered that bibs- particularly a white one with red trim that says “I love daddy” on it- have velcro. Soft, fuzzy velcro that feels nice when rubbed under your nose.
So began the affaire de coeur with “bib”, who now goes pretty much everywhere Devs does. Except for the bathroom. I draw the line there. But even then, before he enters he’ll stand with the bib up to his nose, inhaling deeply as if to get one last fix. I wait, sometimes impatiently, until he puts it down so we can get on with things.
Over the past year, bib has been lost and then found again many a time. Left at the park, at the grocery store… one time even on a shelf in Winners, which nobody realized until we got home. I have been known to sift through the tables at Mom to Mom sales, desperately seeking a duplicate in the event it finally goes missing for good. No luck.
We instated a rule that bib has to stay in the car if we go out, but it’s a tough one to enforce. We’re not typically softies as parents, but for this we make an exception. You see, bib has magic powers- far beyond those of mommy and daddy. When whipped out of my purse at just the right time, it can instantly diffuse festering mall tantrums, restaurant scenes and other toddler melodramas before they start. It’s not only Devan’s best friend, it’s mine too.
Naturally then, when the thing gets lost it’s an all-out thorough investigation. Especially if it gets lost close to bedtime, when it is most needed.
Before having Devan, we’d think you were out of your tree if you told us we’d turn our house upside down for a stupid bib. But we do. Yesterday it took 40 minutes until we finally found it on top of the treadmill in our basement. Not sure how it got there, not going to ask. We got it back (again) and all was right with the world.
Are we bad parents for letting our lives revolve around the whereabouts of a bib? Probably. No doubt there’s some book that highly recommends not doing this. But you know what? There are worse things. Silly and dingy (even when it’s clean), it is the centre of Devan’s world right now. He might drop it in favour of something else tomorrow, but until he does we’ll be keeping it around…at least until it gets lost again.
-Sara
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Comments:
From: Heather
May 26, 2010
“Sara, what a great tribute to the bib. I do remember Devan’s sock days and getting a kick out of him always having an extra one to ‘snuggle’. Luke has a ‘froggie’ which I am convinced he will be going to university with. So, bad parenting or not, I too am very thankful for our froggie!”
From: Paula
June 4, 2010
“That’s too funny. Finding a bib on top of the treadmill. I can so relate to that though. My daughter has had a blankie from the time she was one that was really pretty at one time but not so much now. We still on
occasion have to hunt like mad for that thing – Flowers, she calls it. It is comical the things that soothe them sometimes and really who wants to get in the way of that?”
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2010-05-26 Permanent Link: For the Love of a Bib
