In case you did not know or figure it out, Kiki is short for Blankie.When Princess was little and was learning to talk, she would say the same syllable of longer words twice. Slippers became slip slips and Blankie became KiKi. Somehow KiKi stuck.
It is very interesting how KiKi came to be. When Princess was about 1 1/2 a friend of mine noticed that she liked to touch things. She suggested I get a yard of fleece blanket material from the fabric store, cut it into pieces and fringe the edges of each piece. The theory being that if Princess lost one piece or it needed to be washed, that I would have another piece ready to go. The problem with most theories is that real life plays out much differently. Princess become attached to KiKi and only wanted that one. When I tried to swap it out for another, she knew. She even called the other one Pretend KiKi. Suffice to say that KiKi is now like the Velveteen Rabbit only instead of fur that got rubbed off it was fleece pills that went missing. Instead of eyes that fell off, it was "arms" ie fringes that wore off. Oh how Princess has loved her KiKi!
I will tell you that KiKi is no ordinary blankie. She comforts those in distress and heals wounds. When Princess was little, she firmly believed that if you rubbed Kiki on a sore your sore would feel better instantly. KiKi has her own persona. Her sole purpose in life is to comfort others especially Princess. If someone is crying, KiKi will wipe away the tears.
Princess takes her everywhere. As she has gotten older her father and I have had to come up with some rules regarding KiKi. She is no longer allowed at school because Princess will shove her in her classmates' faces asking them to smell her. She has to stay in the car when we go into stores. Otherwise KiKi becomes a distraction to others.
Interestingly enough, when Princess is doing well, we don't see as much of KiKi. It is like she doesn't need it the more secure she is.
We have tried not to let Princess become too dependent on her. When KiKi is lost we no longer look for her as much. We encourage Princess to do that.
I am fully aware that most NT kids are not as dependent on their comfort item at age 9 but I do not feel it would be beneficial to push Princess to get rid of KiKi until she is ready to. I do believe that KiKi will one day be put away for safe keeping but she will never end up in the trash. She is like another family member.
Here's a picture of Princess's beloved KiKi.
