Children become emotionally attached to cuddly toys, blankets and even smelly old scraps of material because they intuitively believe they possess a unique essence or life force, psychologists said yesterday.
This is a scenario that many parents are familiar with, and wonder if they should worry about it. Reassuringly, plenty of children develop an emotional attachment to an object, whether to a blanket, teddy bear, pillow, dummy or bottle, and this is nothing to be concerned about.
Many babies become attached to a particular comfort object, or "lovey," between 8 and 12 months old. This is usually a blankie, stuffed animal, or another soft object. It's completely normal for kids to have a lovey, and loveys can ease separation anxiety and help your child adjust to new situations.
Psychologist Corrine Sweet told The Telegraph that cuddling a childhood toy “evokes a sense of peace, security and comfort. It's human nature to crave these feelings from childhood to adult life." So, psychologically speaking, it's not strange or weird to hang on to a childhood blanket or bear into adulthood.
Studies suggest that a child's affection for certain blankets or toys might be triggered by the belief that certain objects have invisible properties or contain some essence of their original owner. This attachment and affection are similar to adults who are nostalgic for certain heirlooms or other memorabilia.
Many parents and child care providers wonder when children should stop taking the blanket or pacifier to child care. There's no hard and fast rule. Some children are ready to give up their security objects by age 2 or 3. Others need the connection for a longer time.
It's human nature to seek comfort. We're attracted to things that ease our suffering and make us feel good. We love the reward of feeling comforted by a great blanket, and that's a good enough reason for us!
Blankets and loveys are a sense of security for children — a way to help them leave their parent or caregiver for the day, to work through the tears of an emotional moment, and to handle those tough transitions that they need extra support with.
The use of a weighted anxiety blanket, using pressure stimulation, offers our body a chance to switch from the "fight or flight" mode of our sympathetic nervous system to a "rest and digest" mode that is regulated by our parasympathetic nervous system.
Most children display some form of attachment to a certain blanket, doll, or clothing item as they grow and develop. The item in question usually provides a sense of comfort and security in that it is familiar and belongs to the child.
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a condition where a child doesn't form healthy emotional bonds with their caretakers (parental figures), often because of emotional neglect or abuse at an early age. Children with RAD have trouble managing their emotions.
Take baby steps.
Have him take it with him for a week and leave it in his cubby for most of the day. Then, when he sees he can cope without it, suggest he try leaving the blanket at home. It also helps if you point out the risk of losing the lovey if your child takes it outside, Dr. Kalpidou says.
If that sounds all too familiar, then chances are you're blessed with a velcro baby: Velcro babies are newborns and infants who are unusually clingy, don't want to be put down and will fuss until they're reunited with their favourite person―mum.
Children have their own schedule for growing up and its much slower than some adults have the patience for. By 5-year-old most kids will no longer need a comfort object like a plushie or blanket everywhere they go.
“Fundamentally, toddlers are self-centered creatures that crave control. Sleeping with items over their heads allows them to create their own comfort position when they sleep, creating that soothing sense of control,” she explains.
Also called a 'transitional object', a lovie or security blanket gives a child a great deal of comfort. Any parent of a little one who wails for his lovie when he's upset, or doesn't want to be separated from it, EVER, will know the reassurance it provides.
The weight of the blanket generates what is called deep pressure stimulation that has been clinically proven to help alleviate the anxiety that is a major component of depression as well as encourage the kind of deep, uninterrupted slumber that insomnia robs people of.
A weighted blanket has been shown to be highly effective for many people with ADHD. If you live with ADHD, you may find that a weighted blanket helps to calm your mind and focus your thoughts. If sleep problems are part of your condition, a weighted blanket may be especially effective.
Weighted blankets are used as an intervention strategy to improve sleep in children with autism who have sleep impairments [12,13]. The current underlying posit for weighted blanket use is to provide deep touch pressure stimuli, thus acting as a calming mediator by increasing parasympathetic activity [13,14].
Children become emotionally attached to cuddly toys, blankets and even smelly old scraps of material because they intuitively believe they possess a unique essence or life force, psychologists said yesterday.
During traumatic incidents, paramedics are known to carry bright, heavy orange coverings that they call shock blankets, in order to ensure the warmth of their patient as they go into shock.
A weighted blanket uses “pressure therapy”, a calm-inducing amount of pressure on your entire body, similar to the feeling of being hugged, swaddled, stroked, or held. The right size and weight of a weighted blanket depend on the person's needs.
If you've been known to sleep with more than two blankets, that's ok! There are plenty of unique benefits that come with more blankets. Added Weight: The weight from additional blankets can mean the blankets feel like they're cuddling up to you, almost like a warm embrace as you fall asleep.
Use by adults
Adults may also use comfort objects. Many adults consider the comfort that security blankets provide as essential to their mental and emotional well-being.
This means they can be a great tool for people dealing with stress or simply wanting better sleep. We feel safe under blankets because of that release of hormones, combined with the warmth and comfort they give.