My two youngest have lovely soft blankets on their beds. Baby soft, furry, snuggly, blankets, with satin-feel borders. One in pink, the other in blue. They love them. Originally, the beds were made up with a sheet, and the blanket on top, but they prefer to sleep directly under their much-loved blankets. They just love the softness, the furriness, against their skins. The sheet has been eschewed (I love that word). If it’s cold, they will have a duvet, but over the top of the blanket, not instead of it. They sometimes bring the blankets downstairs, to snuggle under while watching television, and then they take them back up at bedtime, and wrap up like caterpillars on their beds, (and of course they drag the blankets along the floor, gathering dust and fluff as they go).
I’m happy that they associate bedtime with comfort and snuggliness. I do wonder, though, if it matters, having a bedding situation that is different to everyone else’s. It didn’t bother me in America, because I never worked out what was normal bedding. What’s a comforter? Is it a duvet, or a bedspread? Then what about a quilt? Do you put that on top of a comforter, or use it instead of one? And I decided early on that I wasn’t going to mess with the variety of pillows, of which you seem to require a huge number per bed, including a couple of “shams”, whatever those are. But now we’re back in the UK, I feel a need to opt into normalcy (disappointing of me, I know). What do you think? Is there a “normal” when it comes to bedding? Does it matter? Time for a survey, I think. Cast your vote. It's over on the right hand sidebar.
It was your use of the "word" normalcy that most worried me of all that.
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J
Actually I have to agree wth Anonymous Josephine above; that bothered me too. It just didn't seem..., well normal. We just don't use that word here.
ReplyDeleteThe blog separated by a common language did two pieces about bedding differences in the u.k. and the u.s.
ReplyDeleteI make beds for people, in their homes, for a living. EVERYBODY does it differently; EVERYBODY has different kinds of linens and bedding; EVERYBODY thinks their way is the only correct way. New clients are always bemused by the fact I have to learn how they want their beds made; I can tell they are thinking I must not have very much experience making beds if I have to ask how they do theirs. Your kids' blankets used as sheets is well within normality/normalcy, if such a thing exists.
ReplyDeleteI voted for three of course (would you expect anything else from me?), but really, if what they have works, why change it? I say this as someone who's youngest still sleeps with a cuddly blanket, of course...
ReplyDeleteHa, as an American it never dawned on me to conform in the bedding department. Each of my kiddos sleeps with different bedding (one with top sheet, other with blanket only), and I think if it's not additional work for me (which it's not), why not? Had to laugh about your voting options - you're a clever one :)
ReplyDeleteMy grandsons have only just got out of the habit of *comforters* that are bits of old blanket that they liked to have close to their faces while they were falling asleep. They are teenagers too!
ReplyDeleteMaggie X
Nuts in May
My 5-year-old sleeps EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. It used to bug me because it just felt like he ought to learn to sleep properly, but I eventually let it go. He's probably going to opt for the flannel sheet option when he's a teenager or something like that. I would be terribly hot all wrapped up in a fleece blanket, but he is not me.
ReplyDeleteMy kids have a sheet in the summer, a duvet in winter. However, we have now thrown a furry Angry Birds blanket into the mix, and that seems to be more popular than the sheet. I still don't get American bedding either - I think they seem to sleep with a sheet and then a duvet on top, rather than the duvet straight on you, European style.
ReplyDeleteJust how many people are you going to have traipsing through and looking at your bedrooms anyway? it doesn't matter. You should se what little guy sleeps with - it's different every night depending on the temp, and of course, never "the norm".
ReplyDeleteI have a flannelette pillow case that I am inordinately attached to; I even travel with it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you should be bothered what other people are doing in their beds at night. There are some pretty weird habits out there. A nice soft blanket is quite innocuous when you get right down to it.
Surely if something comforts you then it's a comforter? I'd say it's just an extension of whatever goes on in the bedroom is fine as long as everyone in the bedroom is happy.
ReplyDeleteI'm a duvet girl myself but as long as bedding is clean...ish, then anything goes.
ReplyDeleteAt our house we have duvets. The duvet cover is next to you and is what gets washed weekly(ish). Except for Son#2 (age 15) who prefers to sleep with his soft microfiber yellow blanket (which he's had since he was approximately 3) wrapped around it. So I guess we're not normal either.
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