February 2025
Stuffie Power
by Judy Newman
I never had a stuffie when I was a kid. I did have a blanket deep into the middle of elementary school that I clutched before bed and at assorted times of stress, but for some reason, a stuffed character was not in my retinue.
Years after I gave up on my blanket, I did take my teddy bear, Hubie, with me to Connecticut College. But to be honest, that was more of a holdover teenager thing. My very sophisticated roommates—one had lived in London, and one was an accomplished modern dancer—made fun of Hubie, but I didn’t care. He was a badge of my suburban lifestyle, and he was fun to prop up on the top bunk where I slept because I was the last entering freshman to get to our triple, so I drew the short straw. Margaret got the single bed, and Corey got the bottom bunk. That dynamic would play out for the entire semester we lived together until Hubie and I moved out second semester into a single.
But many kids I know—including my two granddaughters—today have stuffies that are important figures in their lives. Their stuffies have names and personalities, and they are always packed up and brought along on trips. They are clearly comforting for my grandchildren. And I meet many other small children in their cohort who are similarly attached to their stuffed animals or creatures.
According to their parents—neither of whom had a stuffie themselves when they were small—18-month-old Nina is a real snuggler with Moo and Hop, who she named. Sophie, now age 4 ½, brings Tita with her, packed in the outside of her unicorn suitcase, and definitely looks to hold Tita when she goes to sleep, but she doesn’t seem to have the same attachment her sister does.
Clifford the Big Red Dog isn’t a stuffie—he’s Emily Elizabeth’s big red best friend, but I do have a very large stuffed version of him in my office. Sophie loves snuggling with Clifford and attending to his needs.
I was traveling recently and saw that some distracted mom or dad had left a stuffie at the security checkpoint, and I was very worried about that child.
There’s a lot to be anxious about for kids these days, and I applaud children who can divert some of their stress and need for comfort to a cherished stuffed animal.
There are also lots of books about stuffies from the point of view of the child and the stuffed creatures themselves. Here are a few:
Some days I wish I, too, had a stuffie who could soothe my worries. For now, the best I can do is try to share—and help all kids get access to—books that are affirming and comforting to help ease the pressure on them and their grown-ups.
As always, if you have any favorite books about stuffies—or other ways kids can find comfort—please share with me at jnewman@scholastic.com.
Judy •
Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer, Scholastic