At what age do babies start to have a 'favourite' toy?

[eagleray]

DD is just over 12 weeks old and I've got a number of soft toys that have been passed to me by my sister or given as presents.

Somehow, one of them seems to have become a favourite - an old yellow giraffe with floppy legs and feet that make a crinkly noise! I tend to tuck it in with her under the blanket when she goes out in the pram and she usually ends up with her arm around it.

It got me thinking - at what age do babies start to have a favourite toy? Is it too early to form attachments, and should I be rotating it with the other toys she has? Or is she deriving some sort of security/comfort from the familiarity of it? I've possibly been a bit lazy in getting the other toys out

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

My older DD didn't care about any of them until she was about 3...and she still loves him now...he's a cat...my younger has a new fave every week! I honestly don't think a 12 week old cares that much. She may like the noise the ears make but she won't have formed an attachment yet.

[MissSusan]

I wouldn't worry about rotating toys at this point, she is probably happy kicking her legs and having a good look around.

[PurpleThing]

Really depends on the baby. Ds is 2.9 and does not have a favourite, he sometimes wants to take random objects to bed to cuddle but it is generally a new thing he picks every night. My friend's dd had a favourite teddy before she was one.

Some people do try to introduce a comfort object eg if they know they are going back to work soon and want them to have something to help them with the transition to childcare.

[breatheslowly]

The most important thing to consider is whether you can source a spare of this toy. If you can then keep tucking it in with her and she will end up with a comfort object. If you can't then rotate it with other toys and either don't encourage a comfort item or encourage one you can replace. I was encouraged by DD's nursery to give her a muslin as a comfort item. It was easy to establish and we have loads so washing/losing isn't a problem.

I don't know the answer to your question about when attachment becomes established, but DD was started on muslins at 6 months and was well attached within a couple of months.

[JollyPurpleGiant]

We engineered that DS would have a certain, easily replaceable, favourite. We started at about 12weeks. Now DS is 2 and he and his rabbit are inseparable :)

[eagleray]

Thanks for your replies - I realise now that my judgement has been terribly clouded by how cute baby + giraffe look snuggled up together Also, I was very, very attached to my toys as a child and think this came from terrible insecurities caused by violence at home. Must be careful not to project any of this stuff onto DD!

Good point re spares breatheslowly - giraffe is over 10 years old and so duplicates would be impossible to find.

[abbyfromoz]

Most baby development stats say around 9 months. DD has a jellycat nunu she calls dodo. It's been with her since day 1 and she will not part with it (just turned 2). Hard to say when it happened but she will not sleep without him either (i say him... He's pink)... Anyhoo... I believe the reason for the stats is based on little ones becoming more independent and yet holding on to a familiar security at the same time.