Toddler sleeping with a comforter

[LodonmumDec19]

Hi everyone my first post here. My daughter sleeps with a fox comforter blanket. I wouldn’t mind it but it spends a lot of time in her mouth and if she wakes up in the night she again immediately puts it back in her mouth again. She is now 18months. She won’t fall asleep without it (I have 4 of them so I can wash them as by morning they are soaking wet). Have any of you had the same situation? Is there a way to break the habit? Thanks

Mine is similar she uses a comforter is almost two. I need ideas of what to do

Why do you want to break the habit? It's pretty harmless.
DS is 6 and still sleeps with his comforter 🤷🏼‍♀️

Why would you remove something that brings your child comfort and causes no issues whatsoever? So it gets a bit wet or crusty, just wash when you can.

My 8 year old still sleeps with her scrappy raggedy Taggie blanket and my 4 year old has a selection of 5 different comforters, two of which she chews/sucks on and they just get shoved into the washing machine periodically.

I have three children and all three sleep with theirs although as each has got older their reliance on them has naturally declined. Each went through different stages of chewing them etc. but I’ve never worried. And they have acted really well as transitional objects e.g when they started school. And provide reassurance when they wake in the night or can’t sleep. I swear one comforters are one of the main reasons my children sleep so well. At 18 months your DC might be teething and gain comfort from the comforters. As long as she’s not in any sort of danger from the comforter I’d just leave her to do what she needs. Many comforters have chewy knots on them esp. for this purpose

My 23 month still falls asleep with my boob in her mouth and needs me or DH to cuddle her during the night. Do we count as comforters? DD1 was the same minus a boob and she eventually didn’t need us over night or to go to sleep.

My 11 year old has the last corner of the last muslin in bed still, that he chews when going to sleep. He was an awful sleeper as a baby until he dropped muslin on his head and then he slept really well. It used to bother me, that he just chewed and chewed but we had lots, so they just got washed. He stopped taking them to sleepovers when he was about 8 ( we cut one up so he had a tiny one if he needed it) and I am hoping that when this one dies, that will be it naturally.

Thank you all for your responses. Maybe I’m sorting for no reason but the concerns I’m having is about her teeth, the fact that some nurseries do not allow any sleeping aids during naps (and we are planning to send her at some point and just a general dependence on the Fox - maybe unnecessary but none of my friends toddlers have the issue

Don't worry about her teeth. DS had a dummy until he was 3 and still has his comforter at 6 ( he used to chew it but doesn't anymore)
He also went to nursery and never used his dummy or comforter there!! They quickly learn that they're for at home only!

In fact, his comforter teddy never leaves the house ( unless we're on holiday or he's sleeping out) so our friends wouldn't be aware that DS has one as they never see it.

As someone who works in a nursery, I would be more worried about any nursery that didn’t allow a small child to use a comforter when needed!
I had a teddy when I was little and still slept with him I would say until I was about 10 and then still had him until he got lost in a house move at 16 (still gutted about that!). Don’t worry about it 😊

This is mad!

Small children love and need comfort.
You are totally on the wrong track here.
Don't take the comforter away.

My DS has this and I’m of the mindset that whatever helps him settle; my older DD had a dummy and that’s a much harder habit to break.
Why would a nursery not allow a comforter? I find that quite bizarre; DS has a comforter that stays at the childminders which prevents me worrying about taking one back and forth

Agree with everyone. Mine kept theirs until their mid-teens. Even when it was just a scrap of cloth for one.

My 5yo still has her comforter from when she was a baby. Sleeps with it every night and chews on it. A blanket or soft toy won't do their teeth any harm, it's dummies and bottles that wreck teeth if used for too long.

I wouldn't send mine to a nursery that doesn't allow comforters.
Anyone who has had a comforter knows that would be shite.

BTW, I do agree it's a good idea to try to work towards not needing a comforter when out and about as they get older, but not to allow one for naps, bedtime, or if ill, seems unnecessary to me.

Both my DS have comforters still at almost 3 and 16 months. DS2 also chews his but it brings him comfort and i just clean it regularly.

I don’t think taking it away when they’re still so little is necessary. Most children have some sort of comforter or favourite toy they like to sleep with

I’d be more worried about a nursery that don’t allow them…mine asked for me to send one to help DS2 adjust and settle for a nap which he’s only given at nap time and then packed away for safe keeping after

My dc had a teddy bear holding a piece of fleecy fabric that they used to suck when tired. We too had 3 of them to be used and washed in rotation. We didn't do anything to break the habit; instead they naturally reduced their use of it by the time they were 3 or 4. They still have them now but they no longer suck the fabric.

All of mine have a comforter. My oldest sleep sleeps with his at 11!
Are you in England? I would be very surprised at a nursery in England refusing a child a comforter, it would go against all training. Transitional objects such as comforters are usually encouraged to help with the transition.

My DS used to chew the corners of his sheet and would pull up the sheet he was sleeping on if he didn't have a spare in his bed. I used to worry more that he sometimes packed his mouth full of it and fall asleep. He also used to pack the whole sheet into his pyjama top.

We disappeared the spare sheets completely at some point and he didn't bother, I think that was maybe about age 5 when he and his brother wanted to share a room. He spotted a remaining one that I'd kept to tear into dusters when he was maybe 7ish and was quite wistful about his sheepeet but didn't reclaim it.

My 2.5yo DS has to have two identical blankets in his cot to sleep at night. He takes turns sucking the label. He takes one to nursery and they are happy as it helps him nap there. I have four of them so I can wash them in rotation. No way I'm going to take them away.

My granddaughter has three identical bunny comforters and she most certainly has one at nursery. Why would you want to take it away!

I'm nearly 50 and can't sleep without my comforter - my weighted blanket!

My sonIL is 45 and takes his comforter to bed!

It is harmless.

When we take Y6 away on residential from school, a cuddly toy is on the kit list. As well as various furry animals there are always several kids with comforters like you describe, and othrs with small sections of old comfort blankets (facecloth size) tucked away. Hurts no one and helps the child.

I still have mine.

I'm 35