A modern day rite of passage
I suspect most of us have heard of Build-A-Bear. I suspect a gazillion of us have even succumbed to the allure and appeal that is to let your child stuff his or her Very Own Teddy Bear. The smiles and kisses and hugs that accompany the stuffing of one’s Very Own Teddy Bear are definite heart-string-tuggers. Whereas I can remember my treasured Holly Hobbie doll, the girls and boys of today will remember their Very Own Teddy Bear that they Stuffed Themselves.
Marketing Geniuses.
Yesterday my girls stuffed their Very Own Teddy Bear for the first time.
Wondering why this is blog-worthy? My husband and I own a little store, open weekends only, in a giant flea market. A Make Your Own Teddy Bear store.
Chee has been to this store many, many times over the last three plus years. I’ve written before about what a sensory-challenging place the flea market can be. Chee’s been handling it much better lately though. Yesterday was the icing on the cake. The whole experience was so utterly … typical.
Our employee was off so my husband and I split the day. He worked morning, I worked afternoon. He took the girls browsing around the flea market after I came in to relieve him. A bit later they all come back to our booth.
Brief history: Up until about 3 months ago Chee refused to even step foot in our booth, let alone come near the stuffing machine.
I asked her if she wanted to pick out a new outfit for her Teddy Bear as I steered her toward the outfits. (Dressing stuffed animals helps her build her fine motor skills, too.)
She said, No, I want to stuff a Teddy Bear for Daddy.
Okay, which one?
This one, she replied and immediately grabbed a bright lime green teddy bear off the shelf.
She followed all my directions to pick a Star and put it inside and pick a Guardian Angel Bear, too. She picked a bow for around its neck. And she put her foot on the pedal to blast the stuffing inside (not a quiet machine mind you). And then she hugged it and kissed it.
A modern day rite of passage. Extra special to me as over the years I’ve watched so many kids stuff their Very Own Teddy Bear and be excited and fully engaged in the experience, and wonder when, even IF, my own daughter would find it exciting too. Wonder whether she would engage in the experience.
Of course Ess stuffed her own bear too. A bright pink one. There was NO WAY she was going to miss out on the fun. She was afraid to push the pedal so Daddy did it, but she shrieked with laughter.
Yesterday was fun.
Wonderful. What a great Mother’s Day gift for you.
How fun! Can’t wait for the Munchkin to have the Build a Bear experience.
Oh yay! That is so great. I just love it when they decide, on the spur of the moment, to do something they’ve never done before. Magic! Happy Mother’s Day!
That’s wonderful! I always wondered what your business was! I was afraid you were going to say that Chee wouldn’t go in your booth but went in one of the chain Build-a-Bears and did it! I’m so glad it turned out the way it did.
We took the boys to B-a-B as a Christmas gift and man, were they into it. I’m so happy that Chee overcame her worries and did it!
[...] There is no doubt that she is progressing. I can give countless examples of conversations we have, new experiences that she handles beautifully, and successful activities that demonstrate her vastly-improved fine [...]