Comforter - Help or Hinderance?

[Metrobaby]

DD of 2.5yrs has just changed nursery. At the moment she has a couple of comforters (teletubby toy and juice bottle), which she likes to carry around with her. However, when she goes out of the house she can be persuaded to leave them in the car.

DH and I were discussing whether she should take them to her new nursery. I don't see a problem tbh, with her taking them and think it will reassure her - but DH reckons it would be more of a hinderance. Eg She won't sit down for meals unless tellytubbie is with her, and she would get upset if the other kids tried to take them etc etc.

Has anyone any words of advice?

My dd has been taking her comforters with her to nursery since she was 18 months (she's now 3). We've recently found out that they take them off of her straight away and put them in a "special" place ready to go home with her. If she falls over or feels unhappy the comforters are retrieved until she feels happier and returns to playing.

If you can persuade your DD not to have them I think it would be worth trying. Like you I don't think it would do any harm in the short term but if she is happy without them then that would be much more useful later. I think one of the things most of us want for our children (later in life) is to be independent and it would be great if your DD was happy to go off to nursery without a comforter.

My DS is still a baby but as both DH and I suffered traumatic losses when we were 7 and 9 (lamb and teddy!) we hope to be able to keep any special toys at home so our DS doesn't experience the same loss.

I think it's a cultural thing. I lived in France for 13 years and now I live in Belgium and there you see babies and young children up to about 5 with bottles and dummies and nobody bats an eye. I don't think there's anything wrong with being comforted - I sucked my thumb 'till I was about 14 and I still do occasionally !!

Metrobaby - your dd is still a very little one I think its fine to have a comforter. my youngest still has blankie when she's really upset (she's almost 6). AT nursery they gradually 'weaned' them off comforters the irst year they were allowed , then second year (4-5yr) they were put in a bowl by the door. Like Gem, try and get some alternatives ...just in case they go missing.