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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

when did your toddler become interested in a security / comfort blankie / toy ??

42 replies

ktc123 · 08/12/2010 21:44

Not a big deal just something i have been wondering.....

i have twin boys 16 months old and they have yet to show any interest at all in any comfort blanket or soft toy to self sooth. I bought really plush lovely small blanket squares months ago but they are just not interested. I am thinking it would be a big help if they sometimes would accept a soft teddy or blanket in their cots or during the day for that matter.

My MIL even commented the other day how she is surprised they dont walk around the house with a blankie when they are tired etc, hers used to at this age she thinks she remembers. Is this unusual or am i expecting it too early??? How do you encourage it??

OP posts:

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Rollmops · 09/12/2010 15:42

We have 3 year old DTs and neither of them have ever had a favourite toy or comfort thingy.
They do love their books more than their toys it seems, though.

mumsgonemad123 · 11/12/2010 00:02

thanks everyone for your replies. i am no longer concerned! lol. potplant after hearing those stories i don't think i will be encouraging it!!! :)

(OP ktc123 i have changed name)

WishIWasRimaHorton · 11/12/2010 00:08

16 months both times. DS suddenly became attached to a Mothercare monkey - which was then clearly no longer available!! and absolutely NOT helpful when said monkey was 'lost' in tesco.

DD attached to a blanket - phew. any old blanket would do as long as it was fleece. sooooo much eaaier.

so - i think, if you intend to 'encourage' attachment to a particular article, make sure that you have MULTIPLES of it readily available!!

otchayaniye · 11/12/2010 07:16

My 2 year old never has. Wonder if it's because she's still breastfed?

BlooKangaWonders · 11/12/2010 07:45

NOne of mine (3 of them) ever had any sort of security blanket or toy. DC3 (now 4) chooses a different toy to cuddle up to each night, but never the same one and it's not an issue if she can't find the right one.

So OP, don't encourge! They'll find their own if necessary, but from all the horror stories, maybe best to discourage!

GeorgeWHollyBush · 11/12/2010 11:34

DS1 had an Ikea bear he was attached to from about 18mo outgrew it at 4.

DD1 liked the same bear for about a month and now has nothing at 2.

DD2 7mo has been attached to a stuffed rat since she was 5mo, she sucks the tail and puts it over her face to sleep. It stinks!!

Bink · 11/12/2010 11:51

ds was very fond of muslins, from weeks old till about 2.5.

It's his earliest memory, he says (he's 11 now): lying in his cot one night 'floating' (ie flinging) his muslin up & down in the air and floating it once too energetically "and it vanished "

Obviously it will just have landed down the back of the cot or somewhere, but it was that experience of something being there and then just - not - which is his memory.

AllSheepareWhite · 11/12/2010 12:13

DD (17 months) attached to Jellycat medium bashful bunny from birth, would not fall asleep unless it was under her feet. Gave him a name at 8 months and now will not settle unless she has it to cuddle. We did sleep with it first to give it our smell and bought two extras (one since lost). Also they have a smaller version which we bought for the buggy, which is cheaper to replace if it gets lost while out. This helps her settle if she needs to sleep in the buggy while we are out.

naomilpeb · 12/12/2010 19:33

DD became attached to a cuddly cat at about 10 months. She was utterly devoted to it until she was about 18 months, which was useful in that it helped her settle into nursery, although it became so smelly from being at nursery every day we had to replace it! She then switched her affection to a bunny, and now at 2 it changes each day which of her cuddly toys she's obsessed with. A few weeks ago it was a felt penguin Christmas tree decoration from Paperchase... She has to have them all with her at bedtime though. There are 11 of them now so it's getting a bit crowded!

lucysnowe · 14/12/2010 11:54

DD is 2.8 and has never been interested! She was mostly FF but did have dummies, we gave up in the summer. Since then she still isn't interested. So.... there you go.

Orissiah · 14/12/2010 12:04

My DD never had a security object, not even a dummy and was able to self settle to sleep entirely on her own. But around two she became attached to a soft panda bear which she now goes to sleep with. But still at 2.5 yrs old, she can sleep without panda too. When I was a child I too had no security objects, I had lots of favourite soft toys but no particular one, and I never went to sleep clutching anything.

Orissiah · 14/12/2010 12:06

I must admit though that from birth she slept in an empty moses basket/cot - I never kept toys in her bed and also never bothered to give her a dummy until she was 4 months old (when she promptly spat it out and played with it) so perhaps her non-attachment to a particular security object is to do with me (as I never gave them to her)?

pipkin35 · 14/12/2010 12:25

DS (nearly 3) never interested, even though we had things we 'tried' to give him cos we all thought they were cute. Did suck his thumb and sometimes still does, so guess that's his 'comforter'.
DD (20 months) totally hooked. We didn't offer or encourage anything. Became interested about 17 months - tis a bit of a nightmare. She's got a jellycat Monkey and a bunny. Sometimes carries them round all day then gets tres cross when she can't pick up anything else - doh! We lost orginal bunny once - a GAP blue bunny that was bought for DS - tried looking on ebay - someone wanted £40. I wasn't going to pay that so assumed/hoped she'd forget about it. She didn't. 3 days later, nan sent a Beatrix Potter bunny int he post and she kinda fell for it, so was a good replacement. Dreading losing either again.

LaWeaselMys · 20/12/2010 00:47

Anyone with a child attatched to something really random. And difficult to go with the flow with?

DD (21mths) is freaking obsessed with apples desperately wants one if she is upset or tired. Carries whole apples around all day nibbling on them. It's driving me crazy! She has never been attached to anything before but she is struggling to nap in the day because I won't let her take one to bed. Argh.

TheNextMrsClaus · 20/12/2010 00:54

None of my three has ever had an attachment to a toy/blankie.

I think it's a nightmare habit, and I am very glad mine didn't develop it!

My niece was obsessed with an ancient babygro - she walked around for years with her arms stuck in this ghastly thing (obviously it was way too small for her to wear); it's name was Stinky, for reasons I'm sure you can guess.

About the random habit, the ds of a friend of mine developed a potato obsession, and insisted on taking several around in the buggy at all times (raw and unpeeled, thank goodness)!

LaWeaselMys · 20/12/2010 01:15

Apples is better than potatoe I suppose!

singarainbow · 20/12/2010 01:17

All 3 have some security blanket.

DD1 became attached to a christening shawl my gran made, and at aged 7 still takes it to bed.

DS liked the ties that tied his cot bumper, we didn't realise how attached he was to them until he went into a bed, and he screamed for them. So we cut them off the bumper and sewed them onto an old rejected blanket from DD. He still has it at bedtime.

DD2 was a thumbsucker, until she developed herpes on her thumb at 7 months, and had to have it covered for a week, she then attached herself to a pink blanket she got as a baby gift, and has it every bedtime.

None of them are allowed to have them out of bed, it reduces the risk of losing them!!

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