at what age did you give dc's a pillow - are they necessary?

[deaconblue]

Ds is moving to a toddler bed in a few weeks and it seems odd to have a bed with no pillow. But I'm wondering if pillows are actually necessary? Are there any benefits to doing without a pillow?

Dunno but DC are 11 & 10 and although they have pillows because that is how as bed looks they don't use them!

My dd is 1.4 and has a pillow underneath her cot mattress as she tends to get bunged up and this seems to help. Will prob give her pillow properly when she moves into bed which i would imagine i will do at about 2 years.

It's normal practice to provide a pillow at 12 months, as soon as the neck/spinal muscles are developed.

To answer your OP, do you like to sleep without a pillow?

no, I like two but I wondered if it was just a cultural thing and whether children actually benefit from having a pillow or whether his neck and spine would actually be better off without one?

We gave ds1 a pillow when he moved out of a cot. He didn't use it for the first few nights but got used to it after that.

We got dd a small child's pillow along with a small duvet when she moved into her cot bed at about 19m.

i gave dd a pillow when she moved into her big girl bed, she rarely uses it now over a year down the line.

whenever you feel like i suppose. they dont need one, also depends how they lay. dd sleeps on her front so a pillow doesnt do a lot anyway!

my ds was 12 mths when gave him a pillow he loves it do what you think but its so cosy and comfy and maybe might make settling into a bed better too

Would agree it depends how they sleep. Our dd was in a normal single bed from 18m and has a pillow. We co-slept before that so she was used to pillows anyway although we avoided her coming to contact with them before 12m just for safety reasons. She now likes a couple of pillows but tends to sleep in really weird positions so think its unlikely she spends much time actually sleeping properly on her pillow. You can get those ergonomic neck pillows for children, could be a good alternative.

dd has always had one cos she has always co-slept. Dunno about head/muscle control. She's 4 and hasn't got any and she's survived with a pillow so far.

sleeping postion is my ohter thought. He tends to sleep curled up like a puppy right up the top of the cot pressed against the bars so his whole body would be on the pillow iykwim. Myabe I'll get one and let him make up his own mind. Where can one buy a small pillow then?

DD went to a bed at 3 and a couple of months. She got a pillow then but doesn't use it.

DS went into a bed at around 2yrs and had pillow straight away - just a flatish one which he does have his head on sometimes but not all night. I think as well with having a mattress protector on the bed it is an added barrier from the potential 'sweat' causer.

just got dd one, along with a duvet rather than a grobag, ready for moving into a big bed, she's 20 months. she likes it, keeps her head on it anyway.

gave them at about 18months ,think it made them feel they were like mummy 7 daddy & reminded them of early morning cuddles with us.

tee hee, pillow night 1 last night. Checked on ds at 9pm, sleeping soundly like a big boy on his pillow. Went to bed at 11 and luckily checked again as he was fast asleep totally underneath the pillow!!! Maybe not ready for it yet

my son has a pillow and he has had since he was 18mths. He loves it and associates it with sleep. He brings it downstairs in the afternoon and has a nap

ds had a pillow since 16 mths when he went into a big bed, and dd at 14mths when she went into a bed.....

though we gave them old, flatter pillows as we were scared a big puffy one would be too big....ds still used his flat nearly 2 yo pillow, and wont let us take it away to replace!!- no matter how many dribble stains it has gotten over the time!! I swear its filthy but he knows if i take it!!