to think 7yo is not too old for a comforter?

[PatienceisavirtueIdontpossess]

My dc only just 7 still has a cuddly toy, that is kept on their bed purely for sleep time.

Over the holidays they have been to friend's houses, and at the bottom of the bag is their cuddly toy.

Everyone of these mothers' of friends has commented that my dc is too old for a comforter. I said but it's only used at night, and they did confirm it only came out when it was bedtime, and was put away as soon as my dc got out of bed.

So I can't see the harm of my dc having it.

AIBU?

Not at all, we spend too much time trying to turn little children into little adults

No of course YANBU. But why are you sending him to stay with vast numbers of people who don't know or understand him?

My 9y DD sleeps with loads of soft toys! She has a couple that she has had for a long time and would struggle to sleep somewhere without them. I don;t think that is unusually, most if her friends are the same.

I don't think so, I don't understand the rush to get children to give these things up. I had a blanket, my mum just let me give it up in my own time. I was older than 7. My dc both have taggies, I like that they have something that can comfort them when they are upset or sick or I not around.

Going to school friend's houses, dc really wants to go, and loves going over there.

Fortunately the comforter conversation is not being had in the children's prescene (sp.)

yanbu. Nothing wrong with a comforter at all.

My son is nearly 7. He still has the baby comforter he had when he was born. It is called "Green Nummy" - but it is no longer green. It is hideous - dirty, smelly, chewed and with the stitches all coming undone. He has it at bedtime only - it has never been allowed out of the house as when he was younger I was worried he'd lose it. Now, I'd be happy if he did!

It's a two-week holiday. Is it really normal to be having extensive sleepovers at that age?

Well, my daughter is 8 and is very attached to her Gloe bear. I am expecting she will grow out of it in her own time (though I recall being around 10 years old before my own attachment to my bear waned enough that he became "just another toy", and he still sits next to my bed.

4.5 week holiday for us.

When you said a 'comforter' I thought you meant a dummy!
But soft toy - no problem. I think I might encourage your dc to leave it at home 'in case it gets lost', though.

princess - I would say it is unusual, but I guess there is no reason why not if the children are ready and confident enough to want to do it. We take 7 years olds on Brownie Camp for several days...

I would let mine have one for as long as they wanted it. Ignore your friends and don't worry.
YANBU.

Never to old!! I have ran cadet courses and had 18 year olds bringing teddy along with them!

YADNBU . She is child , not a grown woman taking it to work ...

I'm 41 and still have my doggy that I sleep with every night or that fucking thing as dh calls it and I see no harm whatsoever in it. Ds age 11 has 2 teddies that go to bed with him every night but he's at the age now when he will leave them at home if he's going to a friend's for a sleepover.

What harm is it doing the child? People are too bloody pass-remarkable.

I have two friends over 30 that still have their childhood comforters (one is now a threadbare blanket and the other is a bit of ribbon material) :)

My 5.5 year old DS1 still has a bunny comforter and he still sucks on the paws just like he did when he was a baby (we have a few as they need washed due to being sucked on).

I think he is getting a bit big for this... he had taken it to sleepovers - but the night time pull ups are more of a concern for sleepovers.

I am trying to encourage him just to cuddle it rather than suck, so no think ok to have special toy at 7.

I just find it highly strange that a) he's going on lots of sleepovers with school-friends at that age and b) every single one of the hosting mothers failed to give him age-appropriate care and c) in light of b, the op still continued to send him to stay with acquaintances

thepeoplesprincess I would say yes - sleepovers at 7 perfectly normal - they tend to 'grow out' of them by 12 or 13. Mine are 16 and 18 and would now only stay at a friend's house if they'd been out late somewhere - and then it would probably be guest child on their own either in a spare room or downstairs. They don't do the whole 'group sleepover' thing once they get older.

What is 'age appropriate care'??! A 7 year old on a sleepover doesn't want the other child's mother fussing around them! What an extraordinary point of view.

What I think really odd is for the mothers to be thinking it is unusual for a 7 year old to have a "special toy".

Clarify numbers - 5 sleepovers, and we've had 3 of them back.

So 5 mothers have commented.

Just surprised that they all a) thought enough of it to comment, and b) all 5 had the same opinion.

They all said something along the lines of: 'at 5 we took x's off him, when are you going to take it away'. Different words/slant etc but all similiar.

I said I wasn't going to take it away, their choice if they no longer wanted it.

Glad to see they can keep it, according to MN jury

I have a teen who still has his special bear. When all his big hairy mates are round and they are in his room and decide to start wrestling or something he grabs his bear and pops it in my room "to keep him safe"

My ds (7) is still very attached to his comforter. He sleeps with it, and will get it to hold on the sofa if he's tired and snuggly. In fact I'm not sure if he could sleep without it, he's never tried. I do very occasionally worry that he's too old to be so dependent on it, but then I remind myself that in the day time he is a confident, social, independent boy, but he's still very little really. So It's fine in my book.