Cruel dad wants to burn daughter's gift-from-mom blankie.

[modernwizard]

In today's Dear Prudence, a letter writer wonders how to deal with her husband, who cannot handle the fact that one of his kids is really attached to her transitional object. He has even confiscated it from her!

Great move, genius. Now you have a crying kid who worries that her blankie is gonna die, and it's all because you're a miserable, insecure control freak at best and an abusive asshole at worst.

Try developing a functional sense of empathy, and give the kid back her blankie! This could end up being one of those memorable experiences that she'll always, on some level, feel upset about. I'm not sure you can comprehend, though, how you may have justifiably earned your child's lifelong mistrust and hostility because your head is jammed way too far up your own rectum for you to see anything but your own navel.

Comments

[plaidedbra.livejournal.com]

I'm 26 and still have security blankets, three at the moment. (Had to add more as I got older, so they had the same heft in my arms. Plus, it's good for transitioning in new ones as another retires.) I've been a life-long thumb sucker, too. I had to hold off when I had my wisdom teeth removed, but I'm trying to bring up the habit again. I'm clenching my jaw tightly as I sleep now because I cannot comfortably do it (too much pressure, unintentionally). Blankies and all sorts of other "childish" comforts are the perfect coping tools for me. I've even brought blankets with me to dental visits (within the last year or 2!).

I'm surprised that this blanket in question has survived all these years, though. I had to retire my first one when I was 8 or 9. I also used to dangle it in front of my cats, so that could explain the wear and tear on mine, haha.