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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

Object attachments in kids (little ones in particular)

41 replies

Donbean · 27/11/2005 19:34

Ds has a noonoo, its a tatty old blanket that he takes every where with him.
Im not worried about it and think he will part with it when he is good and ready. But ive been thinking about it and have a few musings to discuss with you and wondered what you think of it.
Do you think that when attached to some thing that it is because of an insecurity about some thing?
Why do you think that they do this?
Did/does your child have this and how did you eventually get them to part with what ever it was?

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legacy · 27/11/2005 21:22

DS2 (3) rather conveniently has the hem of his T-shirt/ Top/ pyjamas as his comforter! When he is tired, upset, or just having a 'cuddly' moment he pulls up the hem of his top over his nose, just under his eyes and sort of sniffs it....
Sounds weird I know, but he's always loved the smell/ feel of soft cotton against his face... He ADORES his pyjamas, and on occasions when he's had a really bad tantrum/ tears etc, cuddling his pyjamas is the only thing that will calm him down... We call them his 'hums' because when he was a baby in babygrows he used to sniff the sleeve part and make a funny little 'hmmmmm' noise before settling down..

It's really sweet, but I hope he grows out of it eventually

mummyhill · 27/11/2005 22:03

DD (3) had an old flannelette (sp) sheet which we turned into a kind of doll (we actaully made three so we could wash them) by cutting it into squares placing some stuffing in the middle (old tights work well) and securing with a hair bobble. She has since grown out of them and draggs a soft fluffy bunny round by one ear instead. We kept the sheet dolls though and DS (2mnths) seems to quite like them.

nooka · 27/11/2005 22:48

I gave both my two their shushies when they were tiny, as I can remember mine (although I wore it out at around about 5 or so). So they were always in their cots when they were tiddly, and in their hands when they were feeding. Just much easier to have them holding something loose when I put them down. My neice had the same attachment to my sister's little finger, and that was much more problematic!

alexsmum · 27/11/2005 22:50

my son is a dummy addict.At the moment he he's a bit off colour and so he has been walking around with one in his mouth and one in each hand. when he is ok he's content to give his dummy up and just have it for sleeps but right now...noone is getting them!! They really do bliss him out!

Linnet · 27/11/2005 22:55

My dd1 (she's 8)has her blankey and a little lion that she got when she was about 3, they live on her bed and she can't sleep without them, they always come on holiday with us. Although I've noticed over the past few weeks that she doesn't notice if the blanket isn't in the bed with her. But she gets very cross with her baby sister if she tries to touch it.

Dd2 (18 months) has her blankey, she has to have it in bed with her but then it is her cover so she'd be pretty cold without it. She tries to take it out with her in the pram sometimes as well but we're trying to discourage that as it always ends up caught under the wheels of the pram.

I don't have a problem with either of them being attached to these items. I had a little dog that I had to take to bed with me every night when I was little. she's a little worse for wear nowadays and she lives in my drawer in my bedroom.

piffle · 27/11/2005 23:58

donbean my dd (just turned 3) had a little "fluffy" fleecy silk edged blanky with a label she sucked her thumb with for 2.8yrs, we lived in fear of it being lost.
One day bang it was gone
DD simply switched allegiance to a plain cottton cell blanket that was on her bed that smelled enough like the fluffy and now she is firmly attached to that one.
It really surprised me I thought sleeping through was over!

SecondhandRose · 28/11/2005 08:06

Donbean, I'd suggest that noonoo should stay in bed only. What if he loses it when he's out?
Don't think he's insecure, it's nice to cuddle stuff but I don't think he should be taking it everywhere.

The only thing I would ask is if he thumb sucks with it as that can lead to terrible dental problems as you end up with the 'Goofy' look.

When my DS started wanted a certain blanket all the time it used to go in the wash and when he kept asking I'd say it's not washed or it's not dry and slowly weaned him off.

I had a blanket when I was little and rather embarrassingly still hanker after certain jumper fabrics now at 38!

clary · 28/11/2005 09:10

Ah this is interesting. DS2 (2.5) has fleecy, a former sleepsuit thing that I once left in his cot by accident and he cuddled up to, so I let him have it as a bedtime cuddly. He is not allowed to take it out of the house (unless we are going away) or downstairs really, but if upset hewill trot off to get it. He certainly needs it to go to sleep.
I think this is fine, he will drop it when he?s ready. He is a very happy and secure little boy so don?t think it?s a substitute for anything. Periodically he gets attached to other toys (eg buzz lightyear bought at the school fair for a few days) but always goes back to Fleecy. (start to worry when I anthropomorphise it!)
DD (4.5) has pink teddy who is still popular, but not essential for sleep. Was a cuddly, a present at birth that she became attached to, now more of a pretend play toy. At one stage she went all over with us but she lives in the bedroom now. DD also very secure and content.
DS1 (6.5) doesn?t have a cuddly and never did. He sometimes insists he wants Scooby (or whoever) when the others are demanding to take their cuddlies with them on a weekend away, but he doesn?t need anything to get to sleep.
BUT he is the most sensitive and easily upset of my 3. So no, I don?t think a cuddly indicates insecurity, or rather, maybe ds1 should have had one.
Gettign rid of it is a gradual thing. DD would hardly ever demand to take PT anywhere now and Fleecy is also happily left at home.

Original poster

Donbean · 28/11/2005 09:53

It literally goes every where with us. I found a similar one so that i could wash the original BUT he insists on having both... "wheres nuva noonoo?" he asks and OMG if they go in the washer and he sees them through the glass....its like ive murdered them, he goes back pressing his hands on the glass time and time again till the cycle has ended.
If its lost then its lost im afraid. Bless him he is so sweet with it.

OP posts:

clary · 28/11/2005 10:56

donbean that's so sweet about the washing machine.
I have to give ds2 Fleecy straight from the machine when I do ever get to wash it! (luckily it is 100% polyester tat so is virtually dry).
How old is yr ds?

Original poster

Donbean · 28/11/2005 11:05

2.5, i feel like a total evil witch and try to wash it when he has his sleep or goes to play school. He just totally loves it! Bless.
How old is yours Clary?

OP posts:

PiccadillyCircus · 28/11/2005 11:11

Donbean, my DS (just 2) has two identical bears called Boris. They are known as "right Boris" and "Other one Boris" (his naming). Right Boris is with him much of the time whereas Other One is only in bed. They were recently allowed to have a bath - he was a bit concerned about them being spun in the washing machine .

DD (nearly 10 weeks) has been starting to suck her clothes, or her hand. Can't remember when the Borises became very important to DS.

Original poster

Donbean · 28/11/2005 11:17

Now you mention it PCDC i dont remember how or when ds became attached to his Noonoo. I have several nice fleecy blankets that i used when he was a baby but he likes the silky edges of this one which now are almost non exsistent. Also what is it about labels and the material that they are made from?
The theme running through this thread seems to be labels and the feel of them with these tots doesnt it.

OP posts:

JackieNo · 28/11/2005 12:05

Yes, my DS (23 months) is definitely a label fiend. He has a Taggie blanket that he has in the car - a fleecy square with about 20 labels sewn round the edge. Loves that. For bed he has a Steiff lamb (one of the much cheaper towelling ones meant for babies) that used to be his sister's. Again he likes the label. But he's happy with any old label, which is handy. He's also a thumb sucker - I wonder if the two go together. DD (amost 6) has never sucked her thumb, and has never really had that close an attachment to any particular toy - she generally has something in bed with her, but it changes periodically.

Not sure how I'm ging to get him to stop - not something I'm worried about at the moment, just hope he gradually stops as he gets older.

clary · 28/11/2005 12:12

donbean ds2 is 2.5 as well.
I have to steal Fleecy from his grasp in the evening to wash it amd heaven help me if he wakes up before I put it back lol

sandybee1 · 28/11/2005 16:30

i have to say reading this thread has made me feel much better about my 18mth DS who adores his blankie. He would have it all day if i let him but i take it off him when he wakes in the morning and he gets it for his nap and then bedtime. He has a dummy aswell and recently he can't have one without the other. I have been getting really stressed about his dependency on them as i am constantly getting comments from friends who tell me i should just go cold turkey and take them both off him. Even my childminder tells me that everyone comments on his blankie ( i must admit i think she gives it to him a lot more than I do - i'm not happy about it and ask her not to but what can i do!!!) I don't see the problem as he is a really happy, secure little boy but everyone else seems to have a problem with it. It's nice to see not everyone has that view!!

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