Q. This might seem weird, but to me it is serious. My 3-year-old son will only wear his Thomas the Tank Engine shirt. It gets filthy every day and I am so tired of washing it. It's too small, getting holes, and fading but he loves it and will not wear anything else. Help!

A. Your son says, "Thomas again!" You say, "Oh, no!" We say, "Developmentally appropriate."

Preschoolers often fixate on a favorite item -- a toy, blanket, television character, or, as in your son's case, an item of clothing.

They demand the constant presence of the object because for them it's a comfort item, representing the familiarity and repetition little kids crave.

But we understand that you don't want your son to be in tatters. It's time to retire the shirt, and we have some ideas to ease the transition.

First, buy a variety of new Thomas shirts in the appropriate size. If he particularly likes one, you can buy a couple of backups.

Because the old shirt is so important to him, we recommend not just throwing it away. You might, for instance, make it into a little pillow or something else he can keep close to him.

You might also want to consider some of the other Thomas gear that's available -- books or toys or something else that will take his complete focus away from the shirt.

Remember: like the Thomas shirt, your little boy's fixation won't last forever.