WHY DOES OUR SON WEAR GLOVES?🤔

It started quietly—so quietly, in fact, that we didn’t even notice at first. One morning, our eight-year-old son, Liam, walked downstairs for breakfast wearing a pair of blue knit gloves. “Cold?” I asked with a smile. He nodded without a word and munched on his toast like nothing was out of the ordinary.

But then the gloves stayed on. At school, during dinner, even while watching cartoons on the couch—Liam wore them like they were part of his skin. I washed them every night when he was asleep and laid them neatly by his bed. He always woke up and put them back on, as if it was just as natural as brushing his teeth.

We asked him why. Many times. “Is it a superhero thing?” I offered. “Are they magic gloves?” my husband joked. But Liam only shrugged or gave vague answers like, “I just like them,” or “They help me think.”

We grew concerned. Was he hiding something? Was he hurt? One evening, I gently pulled off a glove while he was asleep. His little hands were fine—no scars, no marks, nothing strange. Just warm, soft skin. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more behind it.

So we asked his teacher. “He’s doing well,” she said. “A little quieter lately, but no problems.” She paused, then added, “The gloves? He told me they help him feel brave when he has to speak in class.”

Brave. That word hit me. Our son—who used to talk to everyone, who used to pretend he was a lion roaring in the living room—needed gloves to feel brave?

That night, I sat next to Liam on his bed and asked again, “Why do you wear your gloves, sweetheart?”

This time, he didn’t shrug. He looked down at his hands and whispered, “Because I get nervous. My hands get sweaty, and I feel weird when people look at me. But with gloves on, I don’t worry as much.”

My heart ached with love and pride and a touch of guilt. I’d been so focused on the oddness of it that I hadn’t stopped to ask what he needed.

We told him it was okay. That sometimes people need little things—like gloves, or lucky socks, or quiet moments—to feel strong. We even bought him a few more pairs in different colors. Red for days he felt bold. Green for calm. Even superhero-themed ones for fun.

Slowly, over the weeks, the gloves stayed off longer. He’d take them off during lunch, or leave them in his bag when he felt good. One day, he forgot them at home altogether. But now, we understood: it wasn’t about the gloves. It was about how he was learning to face the world in his own way.

So, why does our son wear gloves? Because they make him feel safe. Because they give him courage. And most importantly—because he’s growing, and he’s figuring things out. One glove at a time.