Comfort Toys

We had friends over who has 3 kids; 5, 3 & 1 and they all have a 'comfort' toy of some sort. She has rules that the toys are not allowed to come shopping and a few other places and thought it is strange that we haven't given Amy a toy or a blanket for comfort. I said that she doesn't have anything in her cot because if SIDS.

This is something we haven't thought of at all. Amy is a confident, happy baby who is developing well. She gave up her dummy about a month ago and never really wanted them much. She uses her thumb for comfort if she wakes during the night or if she is tired and we are happy with this.

So my question is do babies need a 'comfort' toy? Could you please let me know your experiences, positive or negative about this.

Lily doesnt have a toy but she does have comforter. The ring on her dummy, she always put it up under her nose and it stays there while she sucks on the dummy. I've noticed she does it when she'd tired, grumpy and scared. So it's kinda a securty thing for her maybe?

Lola got attached to her cot sheet, so much so that I had to cut it into pieces so I could wash & rotate them, and she would suck them soggy. Got rid of them when she was between 2 and 3 I think. She never had a dummy.

Ruth got attached to her lambskin that I slept her on, & I had to cut it in half for washing purposes. Until 2 years ago she still liked it in her bed to touch with her feet, & she sucked her thumb til then too. She never had a dummy.

Angus likes to always know where his white bear is and always takes it to bed with him. It's had a lot of washes because of getting covered in Vegemite etc when he brings it to the breakfast table. He has 2 bears in his cot. He had a dummy from about 3 months to 8 months approx.

Asha and Lauren like to cuddle and suck on the little chucky rags I use over my shoulder, and Nadia gave them a little blankie bunny each, so we've been giving them those & they seem to like them. Neither will take a dummy.

I think you just play it by ear and see what happens, but if it looks like they are going to want something, try to get 2 so you can wash them (I must look out for an identical white bear, lol) & think what happens if they lose it or forget it. I didn't try to push it with them either way, that's just how it happened.

I think most kids find some form of comfort, whether it's mum's boob or cuddles, or rocking himself like Angus does (& banging his head rhythmically on the side of the cot :shock: ).

I've noticed I still sleep with my arms crossed over my neck sometimes, which I started doing at about 8 as protection from vampires 8-[

Oh, Angus doesn't take his bear out with him atm, but I remember Lola and Ruth took their cuddlies everywhere.

Oh btw, Angus didn't have bears in his cot til he was over 6 mths old, & I don't put too many in there, but he likes one under each arm, lol.

Maddy never had anything special (to be totally honest I was glad!)
My sisters son was a mess without his tedda & would not be able to sleep, play or do anything if Tedda was not around, it was awful, he lost it once (he was age 4) & had put it down in a shop in Richmond, she had to call all the shops she could think of to see if it was there & then went back the following day & retraced her steps to try & find it.
He did not sleep & neither did anyone else in their house that night as he was vomiting & everything coz Tedda was missing!
She could not find it & a week later he was starting to become exhausted & used to not having Tedda. But she had knitted a new one (silly I think). He did not really tahe to it though, but about a month later she was getting stuff out of her boot & Tedda fell out, she threw it out as he was finally coping without tedda.
My Mum suggested rotating any toys in the cot (Maddy also only had toys in her cot from about 6-8 months too), but so she'd not become reliant on any 1 toy! She never did & has been happy to sleep over, play & do anything without a security toy.
My sisters daughter also carried a sheet around til she was almost 4 as well, it was also cut up so she could wash it, but if it was not packed with them when going out for the day she'd not be able to have a nap either!
I recall when we were kids that a friend had a cuddle blankie & we hid it.. (Ok we were norty!) The parents had to come back to our house at 3am, as their daughter was inconsolable without her blankie!
I wouldnt worry, if amy doesnt want/need a security toy...
I am hoping indah doesnt too...
I took 2 teddys of Maddy's with us whenever we travelled just for something familiar, but she never really cared which 2 toys..

Ive had two that didnt and two that do....Jess and Em breastfed for comfort and when they weaned they seemed quite ok with not having anything else. Olivia on the other hand would rub any fabric between her fingers and thumb so we got her a sucky which she has had up until this year and sucked her thumb with it. Sammy is the same as Olivia and has a sucky rabbit blanky which he rubs on his head and in between his fingers. I honestly think all children are different...some benefit from having a comforter of some sorts and other bubbies/kiddies just dont need it.

Jo

Aidyn has his dummy, and also a blankie. I have had to cut his blankie in half so it is small enough to not be a SIDS danger to him... plus its good to always have a spare on hand!
He only needs his blankie for bedtime/naptime though.
His dummy is for bedtime, and for when we got to the shops, or on long car drives... am hoping to wean him off the dummy before he is two though.

Lately he has a new sort of comforter though... believe it or not... its his toy cars. I've had many a night recently where he's been inconsolable in his cot and wont sleep, so I hand him one of his cars, and he will take it n his hand, lie down and settle to sleep instantly...and he will clutch it in his hand the whole night! It probably sounds strange, but considering that he plays with his cars about 90% of the time during his waking hours too, maybe its not so strange?

Paris has "baby bear" we never introduced it she just started sleeping with it and it went from there. I think its perfectly ok to have a comfort toy, but I don't think most kids actually have something like that till they are at least 12-18 mths iykwim? As most kids I know developed the habit then. And Gemma we never had anything in the cot because of sids as well. It wasn't until we turned the cot into a bed that she started having it I think (from memory).

But I don't think its strange, some kids do and some kids don't and its ok either way. Paris is an extremely confident child, she just likes something to cuddle at bedtime, she doesn't take it everywhere with her and on rare occasions she'll play with it but she'll pick up a doll before she'll pick up baby bear.

*hugs*
Cailin

Lachlan has a teddy that was sent with flowers from Cailin. As soon as he is upset or over tired he will go and get "Teddy" and he will not go to sleep unless he has teddy in his arms, all hell broke loose the night he decided teddy needed a bath in the dog water 10 mins before his bed time.

Kameron has a blanket that my best friend made for him. He only goes to sleep with it, doesn't drag it around the house or anything, but if he is laying on the lounge he likes to have his blanket with him.

Love

Matthew doesn't have a comfort toy as such, although when we do go treveling or stay somewhere else, I'll take his Eroye (sp?) that is a 'bedtime pal' so he has something in his port a cot that smells like home, I also take the sheets from his cot so he has something familiar so I am not sure whether the toy is necessary but I'd rather have it than need it.

jackson has a little stuffed dog that is really floppy and velvety soft and he never sleeps as sound without pup tucked under his arm, i still take pup with us if we go out and he is going to be napping at someone elses house. apart from that he just has his nonny which he has when he is grizzly and when he goes to bed.

i wouldnt worry gemma, if amy is happy then she obviously doesnt need the extra comfort. we only gave jackson a nonny and pup as a solution to his sleeping problems