Should you give your baby a security blanket or toy?
“Should You Give Your Baby A Security Blanket or Toy” is a guest post by Kell at All Mum Said.
Before you have children you know exactly how you are going to raise them. You know what you will and will not do. This more often than not changes dramatically within days of your baby being born.
You have this plan that you will breastfeed and you won’t co-sleep. You will have a strict routine your baby will follow! There is no way your baby will have a security blanket or dummy. Sounds familiar?
While some of it may work for your family, parenthood comes with a lot of compromise.
Should You Give Your Baby A Security Blanket or Toy?
Security blanket, dummy or self soothe?
The debate on whether babies and toddlers should have these items is ongoing and won’t end any time soon. Like every situation there are two sides to consider. In this case it is whether or not your child should have a blankie, teddy or none. Here are the pros and cons to giving your child a security object.
*It is important to remember that before the age of 12 months there should be nothing in the cot with your baby as it is a SIDS risk.
PROS
- Settled – Babies and toddlers that have a ‘blankie’ or stuffed toy will settle quickly and remain that way for most of the night. Having that object allows them to feel they are safe and not alone.
- Helps with routine – By only allowing your child to have their teddy or snuggle blanket at nap time, it helps to establish a routine as they know if they have it then it is time for a rest.
- Soothes – Often these security items can help to calm and soothe little ones when they are upset. Naturally mum and dad are the first line of defence to make everything better but sometimes toddlers need that little extra something and this is where the security blanket / teddy bear proves its worth.
CONS
- Irreplaceable – Parents and children can be left distraught when the security item has seen its last day. This is only made worse when a replacement cannot be found and all efforts are rejected by your little one.
- Dependent – If you were to go out and leave the dummy or stuffed toy at home, tots can often become distressed. They have become reliant on having this item with them. Parents are then left with two options, turn the car around and collect the item or spend their time out trying to calm their child.
Regardless whether or not you choose to give your child a security blanket/toy or prefer the self soothe method, your tot can often make this decision for you. Some children may suck their fingers to calm and settle. Others will want to take their ‘teddy of the day’ to bed for a nap.
At the end of the day, if your child is happy and healthy, it really doesn’t matter if you want them to have a pacifier or ‘blankie’. You are doing what works for your family!
Should you give your baby a Security Blanket or Toy? What do you think?
About Kell
Kell can be found over at All Mum Said. She delivers an honest account of life as a time-poor mum, hilarious parenting fails and everything else that motherhood entails. The mama bear in her looks after her readers by ensuring there is fresh and exciting content and a great range of reviews and giveaways for her fans.
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