Cutting up a beloved blankie?

Mikayla has this "woobie", my robe that has become her blanket. She sucks on it and LOVES IT. :wub: She wants it all of the time, and we restrict her use of woobie for nap time and night night time. Well, DH says we should cut it in 1/2 and then eventually get it down to a little square. This will help in getting it away from her to wash, and he says maybe when she goes to pre-school, she can carry woobie in her pocket.

Have any of you done this? Was it, is it, successful?

Bridget

 

My Aunt did this to my cousin. She was attached to a cot bumper, which she insisted on dragging everywhere, and my Aunt just cut it shorter and shorter. Unfortunately this is my older cousin so I don't remember details like how old she was or how long a period of time they cut it down over, but it did work.

Honestly if she is happy without it during the day I'd keep it restricted to nap and night time and not bother to cut it. However if you do decide to cut it my suggestion would be go slowly. I realise that will mean you won't have two to switch between (which I assume is why you were thinking of halving it) but if you just cut it in half she may notice the difference and get upset. I would cut an inch or two off every week or so.

 

I would say if she is OK with it just being nap and bedtime, leave it be. I have had to wash their respective blankets and I just do it when they are awake and make sure it's done by nap/bedtime.

 

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I would say if she is OK with it just being nap and bedtime, leave it be.


I agree. My 9 year old still has his beloved teddy bear, which he's had since infancy. He used to take it everywhere during the day, but by the time he got to preschool, he was content having Teddy stay in his bed all day. Teddy still goes on vacation with us and overnight to Grandma's. He won't take Teddy overnight to a friend's house, though, just out of self-consciousness, but the day he gives up Teddy will be a very sad day for me.

 

I'd leave it alone. For one thing, allowing her to carry a small piece of it with her (assuming she accepts this) may be going in the wrong direction as far as breaking the habit. It's sweet of DH to want her to be able to have it with her when she starts school, but if she's currently willing to leave the house without it, it's probably safer to keep doing it that way. And you might be messing with the magic of woobie by cutting it up.

 

I wouldn't cut it up! If she's content having it for nap and bedtimes, let it be. If you cut it up and get rid of it, there will be nothing left to save when she's out grown it on her own. I still have a teddy bear that I used as a baby/toddler. Mom and dad never had any issues with me wanting to take it to school or anything like that.

 

I did this many years ago with my DD. She was around 2, and she had this big blanket (her NAA NAA) she hauled around. It was one of those with the wide satin edging. She would get tangled up in it and knock things over with it as she dragged it. So we cut it in half. About 2 weeks later, we cut it in half again. We did it so slowly that she got used to the smaller size each time. Finally it was only about 8 inches square. She never seemed to mind or care that it was smaller each time we cut it. She eventually stopped needing it altogether, but I still have a small piece of it 25 years later. The good thing about it is you have extras to use while washing them, or in case you lose one.

Today, my DD only lets her boys have their "lovies" when they are in bed. It keeps them from getting lost, and she has time to wash them during the day when they are awake.

 

When I was little, I had a blanket that eventually fell apart and until I was about 8, all I had was a strip of it that I called my "place"....lol

My DD has loved a knitted blankie since she was nine months and it also fell apart (into 3 pieces) and she still keeps one part at grandma's and keeps one under her pillow at home. She didn't ever seem to mind it was smaller.

 

I say let her have it. My girls have cruddy little stuffed animals but it brings them comfort so I do not mind them anymore. She will grow out of it

 

Update on cutting the beloved Woobie blankie. Well, yesterday we cut the robe in 1/2. Mikayla looked at it, and knew it was different. She went to put it up to her mouth to suck on and walk down the hall with and looked at the end again and again (because it didn't drag behind her) She knew it was different, but wasn't too upset. We got to wash the other half of it. Tonight I gave her the clean part and the dirty part went in the wash. I think she is OK with it. Dh says that we probably won't chop it up any smaller, (thank goodness) but at least it is now manageable and we can get it away from her to wash.

Thanks for your advice.

Bridget