Soren has a stuffed rabbit that has become his constant companion. It really is a lovely toy: soft, very hug-able, and shaped into a sitting position. The rabbit has its own little blue sweater, fits easily into our leftover baby shoes, and boasts a butt big enough to fill in some of Carl's clothes.
The rabbit is Soren's baby, his son, and his brother; his plaything and his playmate; his pupil, his audience, and his therapist. Rabbit can play a seemingly infinite number of roles and Soren uses him to figure out and gain control over the world.
Sometimes Soren is the mommy and the rabbit is his baby, as when he is carried around in a sling or rocked and showered with kisses. Sometimes Soren is the mommy and the rabbit is the toddler, as when Soren helps him clean up his plate or tucks him into the big bed. Sometimes Soren is the baby and the rabbit is his mommy, as when Soren is upset and only a hug from Rabbit will make him feel better. Sometimes the rabbit is the baby, I am the mommy, and Soren is the child protection services agent, as when Soren insists that I give Rabbit a high five or requests specific meals for Rabbit at breakfast.
The very first game he ever played with Rabbit was to throw him on the ground and then rush to pick him up and cuddle him. This is how the game started: Carl was just beginning to be more stable (and therefore reckless) in his movements. He would often fall over and be very upset. Soren must have seen this scene over and over again: Carl would fall and cry so I would pick him up, rock him, and repeat soothing phrases. At first, Soren tried to solicit the same response from me by hitting his head very gently against the floor or other hard surfaces. For a while, I was careful to show the same love and attention to Soren, even though I knew his distress was fake. I would cuddle him and shower him with kisses, which turned out to be a bit more stifling than he wanted. So Soren explored the scenario in a different way. He got out his rabbit, threw him violently across the room and then ran to him and cooed "Oh no! You poor baby! Did you fall over?" Then, after this overblown display of affection he laughed and threw Rabbit to the ground again, laughing, ready to start the game over again. He played through this scenario for days.
Slowly the rabbit popped up in other scenarios until he became an integral part of Soren's daily routines. He's almost like another member of the family now, albeit one that only Soren cares for. Rabbit:
* likes oatmeal for breakfast.
* needs to be comforted when he falls down.
* gets hugs, kisses, and high fives.
* wears diapers, training pants, and underwear.
* uses the potty.
* likes to play the airplane game (where you lie down and prop a baby up on your feet so he can "fly").
* helps clean up.
* receives instructions on proper behavior.
* puts Soren's plate away after meals.
* requests "The Muppet Show" (whenever Soren would like to watch TV).
* gets rocked like a baby.
* drinks from a sippy cup.
* really, really, really wants to take a bath.
* digs in the garden.
* holds hands when we cross the street.
* folds his arms for prayers.
* needs his own toys to play with.
* sits in the stroller while Soren pushes on walks.
* sometimes is carried in a sling.
* enjoys a good book.
* is not very good at Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots.
I love watching Soren use Rabbit to step into other familial and social roles. He is practicing kindness, responsibility, and polite behavior as well as experimenting with power and control. His pretend play with Rabbit is less a fantasy or escape and more a tool for getting Soren into the real world, allowing him to participate in adult behaviors and to emulate positive relationships. It makes me unjustifiably proud to watch him teach Rabbit the things I have taught him or speak with Rabbit in the words or tone of voice that I hope he hears most often from me.
I think from all this gushing you can tell that I am almost as excited about Rabbit as Soren is.
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