comfort blankets - when to get rid of?

[vannah]

Hi,
DS is now 20 months old, and though we usually limit the use of his comfort blankets (he has 3) to night time, he does use them at intervals during the day. And asks for them occasionally.

The way he uses the blanket, is by chewing on the corners, or sucking on them I should say...he was a very sucky baby since birth and the comfort blankets replaced irritating dummies at around 5 months.

He uses the blanket as a sleeping aid, sucking on it either calms him or sends him to sleep. Id love to continue, but worry that I need to do something about it now before its too late to break the habit.

any suggestions?
thankyou

[Elibean]

I wouldn't get rid of them at all, personally. Your ds's blanket sounds much the same as my dd1's 'cat' (Jellicat cat) - she progressed from sucking its face as a baby to cuddling it to role playing all sorts of complex social situations with it! Invaluable pal and transitional object

Of course, role playing social situations with a blanket may not happen - but the rest holds true, I imagine.

Come to think of it, my brother had a blanket as a child - he used to like holding a corner of it and stroking it whilst sucking his thumb - he ended up using it only at night, then not at all, but it happened in his time, no one else's. I remember him having it at night when he was about 2 or 3, then dropping it altogether once he started school. He's a very respectable, happy, un-blankety 40 something yr old now

[LIZS]

Still going at almost 6 !

[vannah]

"He's a very respectable, happy, un-blankety 40 something yr old now"

thats so funny!! thankyou both..

[Posey]

Dd has just had her 10th birthday. She has one. Its actually an old flannel (I used them instead of muslins). She doesn't let me wash it ("it wouldn't smell right"!) but it stays firmly in her room. She doesn't "need" it, but likes it. If she's ill or anxious, she'll be found rubbing it near her nose. When she started school, she would have a quick sniff and rub before she left home, just a little confidence booster I think.
I guess she stopped having to have it when she was about 6. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. She's an exceptionally nice, well adjusted, intelligent girl. I'll confiscate it if she becomes a horrid teen!!

I think there's been a lot of work looking at attachments in children and it is actually beneficial to have one.

[TrinityRhino]

never, leave him with it
comfort objects are goooooood

[MascaraOHara]

I have two friends one late twenties, one early thirties.. both still have blankets.

My dd is showing no sign of abandinning hers anytime soon!

[TheArmadillo]

I used mine well into my teens.

Still have it somewhere.

Ds has 2 indentical ones.

I'm not planning on getting rid of them. Up to him when he decides.

[elasticbandstand]

my 12 ds still has a tiny bit of material which he uses when he is tired.. let it be his decision, it is a genuine comfort

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[SconesandMajesticSandwiches]

DTDs still have theirs at 6 and are showing no signs of giving them up. When they were about 2 1/2-3ish we limited them to use in bed (unless poorly). They would go to have a 'snuggle' in their bed if they needed it - but it wasn't allowed out. This soon reduced the amount they were using it during the day

[Acinonyx]

Dd, nearly 2, has a taggy blanket that she sleeps and naps with and generally uses as a comforter. She can have it as long as she wants - but I would like to kidnap it occaisionally for a wash. It's pretty grubby! Jill

[warthog]

why get rid? let him do it. so nice he's got something that helps him.

[Kaloo20]

never! mine have their still and cuddle them every night. They're fab and very comforting

dd has pink muslins (she likes them clean but not ironed - makes them too stiff)
ds has a number of Kaloo's (identical/interchangable) but insists on having at least 5 on his bed every night.

• sad techie that I am, I have registered domains for dc's using the names of their comforters.

[bakedpotato]

just keep em for bedtime and long car journeys and when they've fallen over and are inconsolable

I still have one but I call it 'my shawl' to make it sound more proper

I don't suck it, admittedly, but like to pull it over my face at night [weirdo]

[Lilymaid]

My two DSs still have the remnants of theirs and they are 20 and 15 (20 year old doesn't take his to university).

[JodieG1]

My 5 year old dd still has a few blankets but one main one and ds1 has one that he sucks lol and he's 4 in Oct. When they want to get rid they can but it's not my place to get rid of their comfort items imo. They never had dummies and although ds1 like to take his blanket with him he leaves it in the car, dd now takes a cuddly toy. Ds2 remains to be seen what he wants.

[bookthief]

I had a bit of brushed cotton as a "softing sheet" when I was little. Rather embarrassingly brushed cotton has been part of my bedding in some form or another ever since. I haven't sucked my thumb since I was mumble mumble though...

I do actually consider myself quite well adjusted btw

[katelyle]

My 11 year old sleeps with her bear every night -and my 6 year old has a toy dinosaur and a silk scarf. Why would you want to stop them? They are comforting and reassuring, they don't damage their teeth, make them fat, addle their brains or turn them into unmanageable brats. And they look unbearable sweet cuddled up asleep with them. What's not to like?

[controlfreaky2]

my flate mate at university still had "rag".....
we'd hide it when she pissed us off!

[motherinferior]

DD2 has Nightnight, or to be accurate two Nightnights, identical twin lighweight duvets DP scored in Sainsbury's for a fiver a couple of years ago. She has a very deep emotional attachment to Nightnight. DD2 is really fairly unbonkers (she's relatively sane compared to her sister at the same age) so I don't think that Nightnight has been a major disrupting factor.

Oh god we're staying overnight at a friend's on Saturday, wonder if we have to take Nightnight...

[QueenofBleach]

me, 37 and still have

[controlfreaky2]

.... is it called rag? do i know you?

[QueenofBleach]

snuggly, and sadly no

[controlfreaky2]

oh well.