Places to Rest
Reading books, sleeping, and cuddling were mainly associated with indoor special places, particular children’s bedrooms and beds. Because of the personal nature of these places, they seemed to provide children with a strong sense of belonging. The children shared their beds as places where they kept their real and stuffed animals. As one child described her painting in Figure 5, “It’s a big bed. I like to put my bears in there.” Emily also pointed out her top bunk during her special place tour, explaining, “my kitty likes to sleep with me.”
The first place Lisa went was her bed where she covered herself completely with a sheet surrounded by several small blankets, dolls, and stuffed animals. “Oh, is this your special place?” I asked. “Yes,” she answered, giggling as she peeked through the sheet.