WON'T GO TO SLEEP WITHOUT MUMS HAIR!!!

[GREENY]

Hello everyone!! I need some advise

My 13 month old will not go to sleep without his last bottle which he drinks while playing with my hair!! its all my fault I should have stopped this a while ago but went for the easy life. My husband cannot even get him to sleep which means an end to my nights out!! Does anyone have any ideas for getting him out of this??

Greeny, I'm not sure I'm the best person to help you because my dd is 4.5 and still plays with my hair when she's tired or stressed.

Can you try giving him something else tactile to hold while your dh feeds him? Something like a piece of velvet or a soft blanket that he can associate with being put to bed by someone other than you?

Thank you Wigwambam , nice to know its not just me who has let him carry on with this!! I was thinking about buying a blanket and sleeping with it a while to get my smell then seeing if he will swap it for my hair!! I hope it works otherwise my nights out are no more!!!

Someone I once knew had the same problem - she ended up buying one of those hairpieces from claires accessories and her son is 2 and still uses it as a comforter!!!!

Ha!! thats not a bad idea.. I can just see my dh wearing a nice blond hair piece!

I might actually give that a try!

a doll with hair?
I had same prob with my dd, she is 8 now and still grabs any oppurtunity to twiddle my hair!!!!

Now don't laugh, but, you could try wearing a woolly hat which he could stroke and get used too. Then gradually remove your head from it! . He's then left with a natural fibre soother - with your scent...? Or is that just going to make you look like a right dumass?!!

Aah. Sympathies. My ds played with my hair when he was tiny but when his hair got longer he started twiddling his own hair. He's 4 now and still does this. It's like a ritual. He sucks the middle two fingers on his left hand and at the same time twiddles the hair at the crown of his head with his right hand.

My dd (10 months)has just got really into playing with my hair but it's more pulling than anything else & so I don't let her do it.

I think the idea of a toy with longish fur or hair or a blanket that's silky sounds good & your idea of sleeping with it first has to be worth a try. Maybe try placing it between you & ds or over your shoulder while he's feeding to get him to associate it with comfort.

Good luck

Thank you all for your advice, haven't been in work so couldn't answer!! put him to bed awake for first time last night with the blanket I have been sleeping with, he cried for about 15 mins then went to sleep!! was really hard not to go in and comfort him... don't like to hear him upset
Hopefully the blanket will work and I won't need to wear a wooly hat!!!

This happened to one of the Mums from school with her youngest. She bought him a doll with long hair the same colour as hers and he now has that as his "going to sleep" comforter.