😂 🤷♀️ Meet "The Dugs," our family's beloved pack of Funko Pop dogs. Yes, they travel in a pack just like real dogs, and we affectionately call them "The Dugs." Every time I think about it, I picture Dug from "Up" and his identical clones forming a band, which always brings a smile to my face. But this isn't just a fun story about toys; it's about life lessons and growth.
We've been working on teaching my son, Karson, how to stand up for himself at school. After a week of coming home upset and dysregulated, he finally told me that a boy in his class, let's call him Cody, was taking the wheelie board from him at recess. Karson didn't know how to handle this situation, and it was causing him a lot of stress.
I decided to give him a simple script: "No Cody! Stop! Leave me alone!" We practiced it a few times at home, far away from the stress of the playground. His teacher was on board too, reinforcing the same message at school. A few nights later, a much happier Karson was playing with Headphones Dug and asked, "What does Dug say when the puppies take his toys?" I replied with Dug's line from the show, and she grinned, proudly declaring, "He says no puppies! Stop! Leave me alone!"
🥹 In that moment, I knew I had to add the Funko Dug from that episode to our collection. It's amazing how powerful connections between real life and fiction can be. As adults, we find comfort and understanding in characters, songs, and stories that reflect our own experiences. For Karson, seeing his own struggles and triumphs mirrored in a beloved character helps him process big emotions and events.
This isn't just unique to Karson or even to autistic children. We all benefit from getting our thoughts and feelings out in the open, whether through journaling, painting, reading, or watching a Disney show about a talking dog. It's about finding those reflections of ourselves in external sources and using them to make sense of our world.
And yes, while this started as a post about Funko Pops, it's really about the important life lessons we can learn through play, imagination, and connection.
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So, here's to "The Dugs" and all the wonderful ways they help us navigate life's challenges.