blankets and toys in crib, when?

I have been very strict about nothing in the cribs expect the sleep sacks. I read somewhere that after 6 months the risk of sids decreases and you may put things in the cribs with them. I am just curious what you all have done?

 

I didnt put anything in their cribs until about 9 months. I thought that was about the age that they might reach and play with something and cuddle it if they wanted too. Also, we were getting ready to go away on a trip in another month or so and I wanted something to stay familiar to them so I started putting these little loveys from Carters (small blankets with a small stuffed dog on them) in their cribs. That way when they went into PNP's they would have something they recognized. There are many who have done it much earlier than 9 months like soft books and stuff.

 

I was just saying to DH I feel bad for the guys (I shouldn’t) as sometimes they just lay in there cribs babbling, like they are bored… I wish they had the capability to reach and play w/ toys… I was trying to remember when I put toys in older DS crib… then I had flash back of hearing singing toys at 3 am (note to self: no toys that make noise) BUT mine are WAY too young now… curious to hear when people did…

 

Both of my babies sleep with 1 "lovey" in their crib - a small stuffed bear. I've also put them together in 1 crib with a lot of toys to contain them so I could do something else but they weren't sleeping so I don't know if that counts.

 

We recently started introducing a lovey (8"x8" blanket with frog head) at naptime. One loves to snuggle with his. The other ignores his until his brother is asleep and no longer babbling then he plays with his for a few minutes before he drifts off. We also have a video monitor so I watched them like a hawk for the first few times. At this point I would probably give it to them at night and not worry, but they sleep in different cribs at night than they do during the day and I just forget to go it and they still sleep really well without it. Part of me doesn't want them to have to have something like that to go to sleep, so we may only do it at naps for that reason.

 

We started giving my son a lovey (never would have called it that before reading this board!) a few weeks ago. He would roll to his side to sleep, but it seemed like he never knew what to do with his arms and they kept waking him. It seemed to help, plus he likes to suck on it so I hoped that would help wean him off the pacifier at night. But it does make me a little nervous and is another thing that has kept me from sleeping soundly at night. I get up a lot to check on him (in addition to the times I'm actually being woken by them). I have found it lying on his face a few times. I think it's lightweight enough to not cause a problem, and I know he could move it if he wanted to.

I also sometimes put a blanket on them if their room feels like it got colder during the night than I expected it to. I don't pull it up higher than their waist though.

 

The boys each have one of the blanket things with the animal head...a frog for Dillon and a monkey for Lucas, from their trip to the zoo...they love to cuddle with them. Oh and a number of pacifers for the middle of the night LOL

Dianna

 

We have a little bear for each of the boys and a small square blanket w/ silky edges. I'll change things around a bit when we're doing a wash (sometimes the lovies take "tubbies") and they'll get a little monkey and a facecloth - they seem to like either combo. ;-)
We started this at about 6 months and I wasn't sure if they really cared about them or not. They still get upset when we put them in their cribs even when we give them their lovies. I have seen them play a bit, though, on the video monitor, lately, so I do think they like them!
Good luck!!

 

Mine each have a lovie too and a blanket but that is it. I don't want them to think it is play time when they go in their cribs, it is for sleeping only. That works for us! They do have each other so that is good enough. Do I sound mean? I don't mean to...LOL

 

We actually started giving a small square blanket with silk edges at about 4.5mnths old, they didn't care for it as much in the beginning, but by about 5mnths they like to snuggle with it. And, at 6mnths I also gave them each one small soft toy (teddy bear, monkey, doll whatever was clean and close). So, now they play with their blankets and a bit with the toy in the morning before I get them out of their cribs. it's worked well for us so far.

 

We offered different things until they took to something. It was the taggies that they liked the most. My grandma made us a bunch of them so we have one each for daycare, car, and cribs. We did that around 5 months old. They love the silk ribbons around the edges and suck on them. DD uses her's for a pillow nowadays. :lol: I also cover them with blankets or afghans if their room seems cool.

 

Mine have always had a blanket but didn't start sleeping with anything until they were about 2 (their choice) Now they chose each nite what they want to sleep with. They always pick hard, plastic animal toys but hey, if that's what they want ardon:

 

We just started giving them small stuffed animals sometimes at 10 months.

 

I gave mine small teddy bears at 4 months, and started letting them sleep with blankets for naps at 7 months. The blankets make me a bit nervous still, but they love them, and since it's during the day I go in and check on them after they've fallen asleep to make sure they don't have their faces covered.

The sleep sacks just weren't working for us for naps anymore, though I still use them at night.