My friends and I share stories of our kids that often take this tone: We’ve compared first foods, first steps, first words. As they’ve gotten older, we’ve talked about work in school, play choices and nighttime routines.

My 3-year-old daughter has them all in this category. Because so far, no one else’s kid says these words at night: “Mommy, I want to hold your ear.”

I just giggle thinking of it. And each night, our routine goes something like this: We read a book, snuggle in bed and face each others. She takes both hands and grabs my ear lobes and gently falls asleep.

Within a few short minutes she rolls on her back and lets go of one hand, but the other is firmly on my ear, at least until she enters deeper sleep and I can move.

It started a few months ago. She does this when she’s tired, distressed, waking up or scared. She does it to mommy and daddy and grandparents. I’ve even seen her reach over to her sleeping older brother and grab his ear as she’s snuggled next to him to fall back asleep (as long as he’s asleep, he doesn’t seem to mind). She’s also done it to teachers at daycare.

Some kids take a binkie (my daughter never did) or a bottle (nope, not that either) or even as they get older a stuffed animal (very rare for her).

My daughter just needs mom’s ear lobe.