Our sitter and I were talking about this today. Morgan has a small blankie and a 6" plush Elmo that goes everywhere with us. We literally cannot get near the door without "Melmo" and "B." Reagan has a big blankie (aka..."B"). I think my sitter wants to "wean" them of their loveys. I personally don't care if they have them or not. They aren't so much attached when it's normal play time, but they must have them for naps/bedtime and in the car. My girls aren't even two yet....I don't think it's necessary that they give them up. I think my sitter kind of prides herself of breaking her daycare kids of "habits" like this b/c she mentioned to me in the past that she's been successful with a lot of the kids she's watched in the past. Good for her, but I'm not ready for them to give up that part of their "baby-hood." Maybe it's selfish of me, but that's what they are attached too and it's not an unhealthy attachment where they HAVE to have them all of the time. It's their "comfort" item when they are tired or upset. No biggie. I did tell her today that it didn't bother me that they still had them and that they would continue to bring them to her house. I think they are alot more attached to them at home than at her house b/c they interact with the other kids and play more there so they tend to "forget" about them. Then, she embarrassingly admits that her 3.5 year old son still gets his binky at nap time and bedtime :unsure: I thought that was NUTS...but then again, I have no clue what is "normal" with binkies b/c my girls never wanted them at all. Oh well. Anyway, back to the reason why I posted...lol. What were your kids attached too and did they eventually give it up (where it didn't have to go with you all the time) on their own, or did you wean them from it? If you weaned them from it...at what age is appropriate? Obviously I don't want them carrying stuff around in kindergarten Hehehe!
FWIW, my girls are becoming MORE attached to things as they get older. Recently it may be because they just gave up their pacis, though. But in general they seem more attached to their Things.
I think that's really young. And, if you are ok with them having their comfort items and they still want them why break them of the habit? Kelly has had several things that she's had to have to sleep through the years (all 4 of them). Kaitlyn needs her Winnie the Pooh when she sleeps. She's had it since she's an infant and I have no problem with her keeping it. I agree, it's a cute habit and harmless... why let it go?
Well, My 10 and 7 year olds still have blankies. They only use them at night and they rarely go on sleep overs with them. It's a comfort thing for them and as long as they aren't embarrassed by them, I have no reason to worry about it.
Well let's see I am 28 and still sleep with a lovey (it is my replacement lovey as my dad made me give up one at 8yo so I just took on another one). So I don't think children should be forced to give up anything like that. That said I restrict my kids loveys strictly to their beds. Obviously in your case going to daycare would be an exception. I would ask that the daycare lady have them only use it in bed. If nothing else hopefully they will last a little longer that way.
My oldest didn't really have an attatchment to anything in particular. As long as she had something familiar to sleep with, she was fine. My second oldest still has his blanket that he slept under as a baby. At about 4mos he started pulling it up by his head to sleep with instead of under it. From the beginning he never took it anywhere out of the house but he never went to a sitters' house either. At 3 it became something that had to stay in the bedroom unless he was sick. I would think that sitter could set some limits with it but there's no reason they can't have them to sleep with. I used to do daycare, so I understand her not wanting them to have things that they are attached to laying around for the other kids to get ahold of. Maybe the girls could have a special place that their lovies go when they get there and they know that they can go get them after lunch for nap or something like that. Then after nap when it's time to move on to the next activity they put it back until pick up time.
Well my 9 yo has a baby she has had since she was born & sleeps with almost every night, and my 6yo has a blankie she sleeps with also ( even if its HOT)..My boys don't seem to have anything as of yet my 3yo always has a special blanket every night..and the boys have nothing yet.. But i think they should keep it as long as it doesn't bother u..and maybe start yo limit to naps & bed times..we had an episode on the beach in VA with the oldest OMG, we lost baby and my husband almost had to fight over getting it back...LOL..now i can laugh but it was very stressful when they carried it with them all the time. So we said only at home & then we went to just if ur in bed.. It's ur choice not the sitters...she works 4 u....
My 5 year olds still sleep with a blanket and my daughter has a stuffed animal that goes EVERYWHERE with her. He eats supper with us, sits outside the tub for bath, has to be buckled in the car . It doesn't bother me except for when I'm going down the road and my daughter goes hysterical because I didn't buckle "Winks" in. :laughing:
QUOTE(jenn- @ Apr 19 2007, 12:45 PM) [snapback]226482[/snapback] Well let's see I am 28 and still sleep with a lovey Thank you for saying this -- I'm 36 and still sleep with mine, and DH thinks I'm crazy. But I don't carry it around with me. I stopped that by kindergarten, though I'm not sure how much before kindergarten! Ditto that it's your decision, not the sitters. That said, we are trying to keep our loveys in the crib, to avoid the risk of loss or damage, and also in hopes that we won't become slaves to the lovey. So I like the idea of asking the sitter to restrict them to naptime -- if you think your kids would go for that. Part of her desire to "wean" them may also be that 1) she's embarrassed that her son still uses his binky, and 2) she's worried the loveys will get lost or damaged and she'll be responsible. Restricting them to naps might help with the 2nd part at least.
Megan still has a blankie. Except for at daycare, that blankie goes almost everywhere she goes. I don't feel that it's an unhealthy attachment, it's a comfort to her and I will never deprive her of that. We don't take it in public with us. She has it while at home, in the car or while visiting grandparents. I know everyone will *gasp* while reading this but Megan still has a passie for sleeping or resting. She is still very attached to it but I don't let her have it in public. I certainly don't like it but she finds so much comfort in having it. It's not hurting anything so who am I to take it away. She will get rid of it when she is emotionally ready. She knows big girls shouldn't have passie's but she's not ready to let go. I say let her have her blankie and elmo.
They still sleep with theirs and we call them silkies but it is that small satin blanket thing. Anyway, the girls started out with our current provider at 18 mos and they had a silky and pacifier then. She managed to get rid of both of them for naps at her house around 20 mos. I still had theirs at home, I figured if she could get it away from them good for her, but we did not get rid of the pacifier at our house until 2.5. We still have the silkies.
Ryan has a Tigger that he just adores. The only rule we have is that it does not leave the house. This is more to spare us the drama of losing it. I'm ok with him having it as long as he wants.
My girls both have blankies and stuffed elephants that they sleep with. I think it is sweet and as long as they need it, they should be allowed to use them. Some days the girls will carry them around more than other days. They also still have binkies (that they call ba's) that we will be getting rid of this summer, so they will probably really need their 'lovies' then!
Mine are becoming less dependent on their thingys (Lovie and assorted stuffed things) as they become more interested in other stuff. I don't mind it either!! You do what you want! She has success with other kids because they aren't her own! It's not as easy when they are YOURS!
Becky, I wouldn't worry about it either! Jonah is going to be 4 this summer... he still has lovies. He is much less dependent on them now, and doesn't take them anywhere. But he still sleeps with his blankie and stuffed dog that he's had forever. He uses them when he needs them around the house. But he's outgrowing them as he gets older. Both of my twins each have a blankie and Sophie has a bunny, and Sammy has a baby doll. They both are very needy still, and it doesn't bother me one bit. I wouldn't push them to give them up, they'll do it when they're ready!
Use of a security blanket tends to be more an issue for parents than the child. Parents worry about their child's attachment to and dependency on the security object. While use of a security blanket hasn't been studied extensively, what studies are available suggest that those children who do use blankets, teddy bears and the like are no less attached to their mothers than children who do not use such objects. Sometimes referred to as transitional objects, a blanket, special pillow, toy or teddy bear can actually ease children's upset when they face new situations such as moving between homes of separated parents or having an overnight with grandparents or friends. Most children tend to naturally decrease their use of the security object when they enter junior or senior kindergarten. Many children still may use the object privately, such as at bedtime. Some adults still own their first teddy bear while others have attachments to particular pillows or other objects that bring fond memories and hence act to reduce stress or upset, just like when they were children. Placing a kiss into the hand of a child and telling him that he can use it whenever he misses you, for example, can ease time away from a parent. Similarly, we use pictures to remind us of others in their absence. You won't necessarily harm your child by removing the transitional object. But if it is soothing to the child, no harm will come by returning it. Most of us use something to comfort ourselves. In the scheme of things, a blanket is innocuous. This info was compiled by: A social worker with more than 25 years' experience, Gary Direnfeld is recognized by Ontario courts as an expert in parent-child relationships, child development, family therapy and custody issues.
