When can they start sleeping with blankets/loveys?

Jack and Lily are 8mos. old and do not have a lovey or anything. They each have rotating "favorites" as far as toys go but it has been a month or two since they have had a snuggly type of thing that they really latch onto. They sleep in footed pjs and are plenty warm so no blanket is needed but I feel sort of sad that they are in those big old cribs all by themselves.

Should I encourage it by putting something in bed with them or just leave well enough alone until they find their own lovey one day and latch onto it?

*** I should also say that I am a bit hesitant to put a lovey in bed with my famous sleep fighter, Lily, for fear it will just give her another reason to stay awake. Way back when she started CIO we tried putting her little lovey of the month in with her and it worked to calm her for about a week until she realized she could play with it as well and then I had to take it out.

Anyway, I just feel badly like maybe I should be giving them something to sleep with.

Thanks,
Amy

 

I wanted my boys to get attached to this particular stuffed animal that they were given at birth but after months of us trying, they would not grab on to it! Around 8 months, we gave them something different (it was something smaller then the 1st because dh is a complete worrier(sp) when it comes to things in the crib) and now they need it to sleep. My boys dont use blankets either so it is them and their little bunny/puppy. So we did encourage it.

 

Mine all have loveys. The same monkey Bennett had as a baby he still sleeps with at almost 3 years old. The twins both have a stuffed animal as well, and they latch and hold onto it as they fall asleep. It is definitely part of their sleep habit. They also both have quilts, but generally kick those off. I have no problem with mine having loveys/blankets. I think it's just a personal choice.

Reyna

 

We have the tiny blankets with the stuffed animals attached..I looked for a picture, but I couldn't find one - sorry! I just started putting them in their crib with them around 6 months. Now they LOVE them and rub/shake them when they go to sleep.

I read it's a great age to introduce loveys or as the scholarly article called it a "transitional object", since separation anxiety can start and if they do wake, they have a familiar item of comfort.

Good Luck!
Suzi

 

We just gave the boys these puppy blankets to sleep with and they LOVE them. They were starting to sleep with their arms around their bumpers like they wanted something to hold onto... so we decided to try the puppies. I was so nervous about them playing with them... and they did for about two days... then the novelty wore off and now they just snuggle up to them and sleep. It's so cute!

http://www.amazon.com/Gund-Gund%C2%AE-Fluf...9928&sr=8-2

 

My boys have slept with their 'silkies' (the small, square blankets that are silky on one side & flannel on the other) since they were about 3 months old. Once they fell asleep, we'd take them out of their cribs. It wasn't until about 5 months or so that we started leaving them in there. Now they rub their faces with it to fall asleep, occasionally chew on it, & my one DS sleeps with his face nustled in it. I'm sure it's probably a SIDS risk, but my boys have good head control, move around plenty in their cribs, & haven't had any issues yet. In fact, the issues we encounter are when they don't HAVE their silkies to fall asleep with! I wanted them to have them, so I introduced them young. I still have my baby blanket from birth, so I'm curious to see if these will be an 'item' to them as they grow older as well.....

PS We're dealing with double Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease at our house, so NO one's sleeping...lovey or no lovey! It's awful around here! Gotta love daycare!

 

Around 8 months is when I gave them a blanket. I made the blankets, tying two pieces of fleece together, leaving fringe all the way around. The love them!

 

I introduced them around 6 months to all three kiddos -- we use the same Gund cozies that Carrie linked to (they come in different colors, animals and textures). My older DD is so attached that it's become part of our family, LOL -- I posted about it on the "security blanket" thread.

My little ones love them, too, and roll to their sides and hug them while they're falling asleep.

 

We started putting loveys in the crib with them at about 6 months. My SIL gave them to us when the girls were born. (They're also the animal heads with a small fleece/satin blanket -- ours are from Bunnies by the Bay.) Sarah latched on to hers right away, but Amy pretty much ignored hers for months -- then she became fanatically attached too. They both also have "secondary loveys" that they chose independently. They are allowed to carry those around (though they don't leave the house), but the primary loveys must stay in the cribs at all times.

We put their quilts in the cribs at about 1 year, and while the girls like them and notice when they're gone (if they're in the laundry), they don't seem that emotionally attached to them.

 

QUOTE(SusieQ @ Jan 23 2008, 05:25 PM) [snapback]586336[/snapback]
We have the tiny blankets with the stuffed animals attached..I looked for a picture, but I couldn't find one - sorry! I just started putting them in their crib with them around 6 months. Now they LOVE them and rub/shake them when they go to sleep.

I read it's a great age to introduce loveys or as the scholarly article called it a "transitional object", since separation anxiety can start and if they do wake, they have a familiar item of comfort.

Good Luck!
Suzi



Mine have the same it is a blanket witha bunny head attached. Grace loves to bury her head and rub the silky part on her nose!!! TOO CUTE! They have had them for about a month. I have used a blanket since they camde home.

 

they've had a crocheted blanket in the crib since 6 months and these stuffed zebra's since about 14 mos or so - the zebra's generally don't leave the crib unless they wake up badly and clutch on to it!

 

Katie has slept with a blanket since day one. She is still in her bassinet though, and what I do is pull the blanket snug on her, and tuck it in around the mattress/pad thingy in the bassinet. She WILL NOT sleep unless there is a blanket on her.

 

mine love their loveys and have slept with them in the crib since about 4 1/2 months. They have a few stuffed animals in there too for naps ... sometimes they will wake and play with them a little then go back to sleep ... so I like to have something in there with them to do that. At night, they just have the loveys. Again, small blanket with an animal at the top ... Meredith has a bunny and she LOVES to chew on the ears =)

 

Savannah has a lovie... it is a blue sheep and a dear online friend sent it to me years before they were conceived... SHe locked onto it early on. Crazy enough she likes it to be draped over her face. Yep that is what we have done forever for her...

Beau he likes his thumb and recenlty they both have started to love the taggie lovie my mom got them each for Christmas... However he does not have to have anything, i just think it is cute. I am ready for them to have blankets too.

 

According to the APA due to the risk of SIDS you should wait until they are a year before giving blankets, stuffed animals, pillows or anything else in the crib.

 

QUOTE(Stephanie1074 @ Jan 24 2008, 02:43 PM) [snapback]587730[/snapback]
According to the APA due to the risk of SIDS you should wait until they are a year before giving blankets, stuffed animals, pillows or anything else in the crib.



All my children slept with blankets from day one also. They also sleep on their bellies. It is a choice that I made- weighing the risk vs benefit. My kids are breastfeed, not exposed to second hand smoke, etc. Even with all the risk factors (which they don't have) they would be more at risk of dying in a car accident and we don't avoid driving just in case.

I think, that like anything-eating, driving, playing, wearing clothes- there is a risk but we balance it out with our need to live. Does that make any sense?

 

Our doctor gave us the ok to put their lovies in the crib around 4 months. But that was alos the first time we asked, so she might have said yes sooner. We have disney blankets that are small, and have a head attached to them (dumbo and kitty) ... they always sleep with them. Nothing is cuter than checking on them and seeing them sleeping on their sides clutching their blankies.

 

I waited until my girls had head control so I didn't have to worry about them smothering on them. I think I waited until 4-5 month with all three. My little guy is crazy for his stuffed dog and can't sleep without it, one of the girls uses her stuffed monkey to fall asleep but the other one could care less about it!!