As part of our Uniforms on Duty series, we spoke to Una in Cavan. Her daughter Sofia has always been determined to make the world a better place and to fix things when she can. Dressing up and taking on the persona of a soldier has given her the ability to do just that.
Returns and refunds usually cause annoyance and stress.
But when my little girl went to exchange a toy, she couldn’t have been happier. Because as soon as she arrived at the shop, she saw something that really caught her eye: an Irish Army costume.
Sofia (So So) has always loved dressing up in costumes that help her pretend to save the world. She has a way of seeing the good in things and loves acting out situations where she’s the boss: classic games of good overcoming evil. So, it’s only natural that she loves dressing up as Police or superheroes (such as Batman), especially at Halloween.
Since she was 3, she’s wanted to be a Garda. Her aunt and uncle are both Gardaí, so there’s a history in the family. She’s had numerous Police costumes down the years, as well as a blue and white NYPD bike we found her for Christmas.
It’s interesting though; So So doesn’t tend to ask for real-life stories about what her aunt and uncle do at work. For her, it’s all about imagination and the pretend worlds and scenarios she creates. When she’s playing, she even puts on a special voice: very important when trying to catch the bad guys!
As a result, when she spotted the My Little Uniform Army costume in the shop, she also spotted an opportunity. She knew the costume would help her enter the world of yet another person who keeps us safe.
Once she got her hands on it, she didn’t take it off for 9 days straight! It became common to see her marching and patrolling around, really getting into the character of the Soldier she was dressed as. It’s so lovely to watch her getting absorbed in her play. She gets such joy out of pretending and the authentic costume has made it much more realistic for her.
Although the 9-day streak has ended, So So continues to wear her costume with pride. She kept it on all day recently when her cousins came to visit. Even when she’s not wearing it, I know we’d just have to mention it and she’d run to get it.
I’m so proud of So So’s desire to make the world a better place. Wherever she ends up in life, I hope she holds onto the strong sense of justice that comes out in her games. It’s something we all need a little more of in our lives.
If you have a story that you would like to share with us about your little uniform on duty, please get in touch at hello@mylittleuniform.com You can find out more about the series and how easy it is to get involved over at Uniforms on Duty
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