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Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive January-June 2004: Security Blankets - For How Long?
DS is 3.25 years old and has a ratty, well-loved knitted blanket that he calls "Patz" that he drags around the house. He doesn't go outside with it.
Oh have I BTDT and still doing...My DS who is now 9 had a favorite balnket...he really didn't drag it around with him, but always had to have it to sleep with. I figured he would be going to college with it
BTDT!!! Around that age (I can't remember exactly how old she was...she may have been a little older) my dd's "friend" was restricted to her bed. She slept with it forever! As I remember, she eventually "weaned" herself off of it! Hers was also connected to sucking her thumb, so after she stopped sucking her thumb, "friend" was not as important. She is now almost 14, and that ratty blanket still has a place of honor on her bed!! My son also had a security object, but his wasn't a particular blanket...he was happy with any silky piece of cloth. My, but that was easier! Your post brings up so many wonderful, frustrating, funny memories! After washing her blanket one time, I gave it to her and she said that this wasn't her "friend." I convinced her that it was, but she said, "But it doesn't SMELL like my friend!" IMO you may want to restrict it to his bed at some point, but he'll eventually not need it so much.
My younger daughter had a little stuffed purple bunny. She had gotten it as a prize at the first family reunion we had gone to with her. She was 4 months old. It went everywhere with her. If we left it at the daycare, we had to go back and get it. A few times we lost it and it turned up again. One time it didn't. I don't know whatever happened to the purple bunny. He was a nylon-y fabric and so soft. She used to hang on to the ears and suck her thumb. A few times I opened him up and put new stuffing in and sewed him back up again. He also went through the wash now and then, tucked in a pillow case. She managed to get over his loss when he disappeared, but sometimes I'm still sad that we lost it. Always wondered if we would find it when we moved almost 8 years ago, but we didn't. I have tears in my eyes just writing about this! LOL! I will scan a pic of Emily and her purple bunny the next time I come across it. I think Emily was about 3 or 4 when we lost the critter for the last time. I only wish her thumb would have been as easy to lose! LOL!
Lexi is 6 and she has 5 count em 5!! Baba's. They all have names, Pink, one of those flannel and silk squares thay make especially to be security blanket, yellow same thing, Pooh a pooh print recieving blankets and the roughs 2 blue recieving blankets which are not rough but I guess back in the day they weren't as soft as the others. She just has them in her bed and can limit it to only bringing one on a trip. They don't hurt anything so I don't care. If one is missing she can go on but when she was 3 it was a major crisis if any of the 5 were lost. I spent so much time grading those things back then!
My son is 6 and he still sleeps with his "snoopy". I didn't have any plans of ever taking it away because all he does is sleep with it. We did leave it in a hotel in Virgina one time and I realized it when I got home (8 hours away). I had to have a pack-n-ship come pick it up from the hotel, I think it cost around $40 to get it back. He has worn it in so well if I lay down to rest and he isn't home I will curl up with it sometimes.
I had a favorite blanket growing up and my mother threw it away one day while I was at school. I was so upset and never completely trusted her with my things ever again. She bought me a new blanket thinking that would replace it but it does not work that way.
My daughter (18 & in college) still has her security blanket. It's old and ratty now, but she keeps it under her pillow. I may have to use a piece for her bouquet when she gets married (hehe).
My ds had the ugliest large quilt that he somehow connected with. He sucked on the corners all the time and eventually you know what I had to do......Well he is 13 and still remembers me taking away his favorite quilt. He is sitting here right now and we are laughing, he said Yeah that was my Sucky blanky!! He would kill me if he knew I was telling you this. Oh my, of course when he was young I had big plans for him to fall in love with this other cute, smaller blanket. Nope, had to be that large ugly thing. Looking back I wish I would have kept it. As far as my other ds, the doctor told me "I" was his comfort. That was because I held him all the time and slept with him. Whatever doctor. Anyways, I had plans for him to fall in love with the Winnie blanket, but no. Now with my 3rd we shall see. I still have the Winnie the poo blanket.
My oldest DD didn't suck her thumb or carry around a blanket or an animal, but she twisted her "outie" belly button. I couldn't put her in onesies, sleepers, or overalls, because she couldn't reach it. In all of our Christmas and Easter pictures for that year, it looks like she has her hand in her pants because her skirt is hiked up so she can touch her belly button. She eventually outgrew it but there wasn't anything we could do about it. You brought back a great memory!
I'm crying for 'Tuffy bear' right now!!
Mine was one of those old sock monkeys stuffed with panthose!! My great-grandma made it for me when I was a baby. It's name was "Ochie." Not sure why...lol. I would drag him around by the tail. I still have him wrapped up in a box in the basement. He's in pretty bad shape!!
Both my kids (5.5, 7.5) still have special blankets, although now they just sleep with them or want them when they're sick or hurt. I have no intentions of taking them away. Perfectly normal.
Well, I am sad to say that my boys grew up with a silky blankie that their Great Grandmother made for each of them. They slept with them every night until they were 5 and 6 yrs old. Then my dh started pressuring me to make them stop using them after I got remarried. I did end up putting them away when we built our new house and packed up to move... I dont know why I listened to him.
I think lovies are great!!!! Think of the things we are adults turn to for comfort (food, alcohol, cigarettes ect). Never really understood why a child is not supposed to have something for comfort.
My 12 year old dd still has her Barney on her bed and the remains of her special blanket. Why would I want her to give them up? They comfort her and do not hurt anyone. She never asked to take them to school. And if she had, I would have tucked them into her backpack.
They out grow them in their own time. I think making them give them up does no one any good. Just leave him be.
I had a little stuffed duck thing that I used to sleep with a long time ago. I no longer have it, but I just remembered about it. I think it got thrown away after I got bigger sometimes.
I had a kitty blanket when I was little. My aunt ripped it in half when I was three to give it to her daughter who had just learned to walk. My grandmother took away the rest of it when I was four and threw it away. I remember how sad I felt losing my kitty blanket. My boys never had a security object. But Peyton has a white bear (well, he used to be white!) named Fluffy (he also used to be fluffy, LOL). I will never take that bear away from her.
My sons gave up their blankets somewhere in Jr. High on their own. Now, they didn't take the blankets when they went on over nights to friends and in the later years they used the blankets for "pillows" in the car when we took trips or when they spent the night with Grandma. I just believe that the blanket didn't do any harm as long as I could wash it no matter what the age. Now the blankets are in their "memory boxes" as a memory of what used to be. Both boys are well adjusted with girlfriends and busy social lives as well as on the honor rolls in high school and college. One more thing: they were never asked at what age did they give up their security blanket on any college or job application.
I agree with those who say don't worry about it. My oldest had a blankie that got really ratty, and went most places with us - he gave it up on his own. I learned from that and with the two younger boys the blankie was kept in the crib/bed and they weren't allowed to drag it around the house. The blankie(s) went with us when we were spending the night somewhere else or heading into a potentially traumatic situation, and came out of the bedroom in times of need for comfort, but otherwise were kept in the bedroom. And, they both gave up their blankies at their own speed and desire. When each was ready, blankie went into the closet so he could get it out if he needed it, and then back into the closet the next day. Eventually they just didn't take them out of the closet.
I think that he will eventually outgrow it. Although one of my friends, still has hers and sleeps with it everynight. She is alsao married. Sorry, I don't mean to scare you.
They'll give it up when they want to. All the things that kids go through, I figured that dragging a blanket around with Timmy is the least of my worries.
I was the lovey kid in my family. I have a monkey that went everywhere with me. It is still in my closet. By high school I had a comforter that I just adored, this thing went on all trips. I am sad to admit that after 10 years of marriage I just recently quit sleeping with my blanket! It was a twin size that I put under our real comforter, everything else was just itchy. I gave it to our dog just a few months ago..LOL.
I had a lamb that was given to me at 2yrs. I named her Blimblee and she went everywhere with me. My mother saved her, and gave her to me when I had my first dd.
I remember with my oldest with his blankie - it was a fake satiny yellow thing, and it went everywhere with us. One day I was in the ladies room at Marshall Fields in Chicago, with our tote bag in the waiting room and blankie on the couch. Some woman who came in said "who left this rag there, it must be a cleaning rag." I rescued it just in time and made sure it was never left out where someone could think of throwing it away.
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It seemed as soon as he started school he gave up the blanket. Now DD who is 3 1/2 has a blanket she needs to sleep with. And forget it when I take it to wash it...I have to sneak it away.I never pushed the issue of giving it up. I think everyone need thats security. 
Another one of my 'bad mommy' moments. My little guys were going thru enough changes emotionally and physically. I shouldnt have taken them away. I didnt pack up their stuffed animal that their mema gave them when they were 2 tho! They still sleep with them every night and they are almost 12 and 10 yrs old. Brandons dog has no ears left and a tail that needs to be sewn back on. lol!! He drug it around by one ear, then the other ear, then the tail. That poor dog.