Fuzzyphobia: is the fear of lint (or in our house we like to call them fuzzy’s).
The story begins last winter when I purchased a pair of black sweat pants. After washing the pants for the first time, I wore them. That first day that I wore them, the floor was covered with fuzzy’s all over the house. In the hall. On the stairs. In the bedroom. In the bathroom. In the den. In the living room. And in the kitchen. Anywhere I had gone that day the fuzzy’s were found scattered all along the floor. Gino had stayed home from work and as we were preparing lunch that day, Isabel was commenting on all the fuzzy’s all over the ground.
So as Isabel bend’s down to get a closer look of a rather large fuzzy; at the exact same moment the furnace kicked on and the air caused the fuzzy to dance crazily across the floor. Isabel jumped back with eyes as big as saucers, terrified out of her whits!
From that moment (over a year), she has been terrified of fuzzy’s. Wouldn’t go near them until they are removed from her path. Forget about touching them…she would scream, cry, and run away. Something had to be done…you can’t have fuzzyphobia forever, their everywhere, even in your clothes!
So last weekend, Isabel was laying on our bed in our bedroom and somehow the subject got around to fuzzy’s. Gino found some fuzzy’s and told Isabel that it was a nice little “bug” and it needed some love. He found a few more and began to pile them on the bed. At first she wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Then after about 5 minutes, Gino talked her into giving it a “kiss” and a “hug”. Another 15 minutes later, she was holding the fuzzy on her leg (not in her hand)! Another 15 minutes later and she was holding it in her hand!
Now she likes fuzzy’s and when she spots one she bends down and says, “Can touch it? Can I touch it? Mommy, I can touch it! It’s a nice fuzzy!”
No more fuzzyphobia in our house!
