comfort toy help please!!!

Jayden has had a "blankie" since he was a baby and while he was young it went everywhere with us. Around the age of three he started leaving it at home when we went out with encouragement, then it stopped coming out of the bedroom around four and now at five he sleeps with it and that's it.

He still loves it when he's upset or sick but has outgrown the constant cuddling and dragging it around now. I will say this it has helped us a lot when he has been in hospital or we have gone away as it was always there and comforted him and helped him to settle. I wish my older boy had, had one it would have helped a lot.

Abby now has one but doesn't seem as attached to hers she brings it out of her room everyday but as long as she can see it she doesn't need to hold it constantly, but once again when she started creche it was a godsend as she takes it with her and they just leave it where she can see it.

I do know lots of adults that have kept there cuddlies for sentimental reasons and have very fond memories of them now be it packed away in a box.

I hope this helps a little.

Ok so here is a little personal insite to me. I am a thumb sucker to start with had a cuddley for some reason it was a cloth Nappy wich Mum said was great cause she could wash it all the time and just give ne a new one. I got to about 4 she decided it was not a good look so she moved me on to hankies to this day I often have a hankie in my hand or pocket its not a big deal and most people don't even know I have it. I guess it is one of thoes thing's Andie Ella will decide's she need's something like that. Not all kids do. ALan does not have one he has about 3 soft toy's and any will do for bed.

When I was little my mum gave me a little teddy and I use to suck my thumb and hold him in my hand while I did it. Mum managed to finally get rid of the teddy at about 10, I wouldn't take it to school but it was glued with me if we went to the aunties or supermarket. It embarassed my mum and they couldn't work out how to stop it bar throwing the teddy away. Eventually they did get rid of the teddy but I still sucked my thmb til I was 12, ended up needing braces to fix the damage done to my teeth due to sucking it..

As a result of this I'm going to be very very weary about giving a comfort toy or blanket to my child, also weary about sucking thumbs etc

My teeth were perfectly straight, but were 1.4cm further forward than what they should have been so I had to have 2 teeth removed to pull them back to where they should be. I don't remember what mum did to stop me.

Oh I was going to say that I know someone with perfect teeth who suckled her two fingers until she was 22 and married! So I'm not concerned about my 3yo suckling her fingers, although she sometimes gets negative comments from interfering extended family

My brother sucked his thumb and slept with his teddy bear till he was about 12 and the teddy fell apart.

Maya is nearly 4 and Fussy still goes everywhere with her, but like some of the others have said I do set boundaries on that and Fussy isn't allowed at preschool either.

IMHO kids will attach themselves to something or other if they are that way inclined, for some kids it's a dummy, or a thumb, or a blanket or a toy etc. We (or more I) engineered Maya's attachment to Fussy but I think if we hadn't she would have found something eles to attach to.

The twins have Care Bears that Maya bought them when they were born and I'd like them to be the things they attach to, but time will tell. Mercedes is a thumb sucker tho...

My cousin who is 8 has a little toy thing (I think it used to be a teddy?) that he takes everywhere. It is in a revolting state but he is really attached. DD never got attached to anything- she had a dummy but we weaned her off that a while ago. It just depends on the child and also how you deal with it- if your hubby is really worried about it maybe you could also set the rule that it doesn't leave the house?

i had a cat pillow when younger...that i cuddled - but deal was it stayed in the bedroom and wasnt taken anywhere. Then when that fell apart they got me a sheepy cushion but not nearly as cuddly for me. I still find i cuddle up with my tripillow in a similar way.

We did however see a kid yesterday - aged at least 4 with a huge dummy in its mouth that she sucked and pulled out and put in...have to say that didnt look right at all....

theres comforting and then there is.....