Some two years ago I made this doll for our middle child, Harvey. Upon receiving him, he immediately named him Harvey and the doll has been known to all of us as Baby Harvey since that moment. Baby Harvey comes in and out of style depending on which way the wind is blowing. Some weeks, he is tended to carefully as he naps, eats, is carried close by our Harvey. Recently Baby Harvey has moved his bed next Harvey's because he {Baby Harvey, that is} is scared in this night. Other weeks, however, he will be unnoticed.
After reading Children at Play (especially the chapter regarding doll play), I began to understand how our children relate to their dolls as themselves, how inextricably tied the one is to the other {the doll's name IS Harvey after all}. Our middle child is definitely in a period of disequilibrium, as Louise Bates Ames would say, and his constant attention to his baby seems to be a way of calming the storm within, so to speak. Sometimes the storms erupt over seemingly nothing, like a pair of newly made pajama pants: "Baby Harvey doesn't like STRIPES!" and sometimes it is quite clear: "Baby Harvey is tired and needs to sleep right now." Whatever the connection, it is wonderful to witness such gentle care being taken of this little doll that I bruised and battered my hands for years ago.
Today Baby Harvey got some new clothes. Unfortunately, he doesn't like stripes, so he is going to need another pair of pants. I made them using a pattern in this book. The pants were made out of some seersucker fabric and the shirt from a t-shirt that was destined for donation but now is remaining here, and on Baby Harvey.
4 comments:
Dang that disequilibrium, but glad he has something that calms him!
This is so interesting. I'll have to take a look at Children at Play. My Henry still does a lot of that... (so and so needs to sleep by me because he is scared, etc)
I love stripes... too bad those pants wouldn't fit me! I'm dying to make a sweet doll like that. The store by us that offered classes is closing at the end of the month. Sad...
Such a sweet post and really something I never thought about . . . that connection between dolls and the child themself. Interesting to think of. I'm glad Baby Harvey knows his mind when it comes to pajama pants!
The doll is so adorable. That connection between dolls and the child themself gave me something to think about for today... Greetings from Germany, Nicole.
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