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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
AMYfromKY
member
Do you let your LO take their lovey out and about?
AMYfromKY
member
I keep seeing toddlers with their stuffed animals and blankets out and about. They are at the store, the playground, and I even saw one little girl with one trick or treating.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think loveys and blankets are something that need to leave the house or the car at the least. It seems so dirty and kind of odd that a toddler can't be without it for an hour.
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Re: Do you let your LO take their lovey out and about?
What does it matter to you if they do?
Yeah, I do. Not necessarily her lovey, but a doll or stuffed animal or Lovey. She doesn't "need" it, but for sure she'll play with something in the car and sometimes want to have it with her in the shopping cart.
As for the "dirty"ness...I wash her lovey regularly, so it is fairly clean.
SAHM to two sweet girls, both born at home; Baby #3 in 2013!
We bought 3 so that we would always have one available. One is in her bed, one is in the living room, and one is in the car. If we are out and about and know we will be away during naptime or past bedtime, I make sure I have one with us for her to snuggle and go to sleep with.
I don't see what the big deal is, really. As for it being "dirty" I wash hers on a regular basis just like the rest of her linen.
No, because it's only for sleeping. Lovey doesn't even leave DD's room during the day. It stays tucked away in her bed (and before that, her crib) until it's time to sleep. It's just a habit we made a long time ago, but I get the dirty thing. DD often brings dolls & stuffed animals to bed who have been out and about with her during the day and it makes me cringe a little.
It depends. We usually will bring it in the car with us and sometimes leave it there sometimes take it in with us. It's not like I don't wash it when it gets dirty.
Yes!! We have to take it everywhere. DD panics if she does not have her giraffe. If she wakes up during the night it is usually because the giraffe got pushed down near her feet to where she can't find it within arms reach. But I do wash it on a regular basis.
What about pacifiers then? Is it odd when a kid is sucking away on a pacifier at the mall?
This but we have 3 of them in rotation... that way she never takes a dirty one to bed...
A baby; no. A toddler; yes. I think pacifiers and loveys are great for comfort and sleep, but I do not think a kid needs to be so attached that they cannot live their everyday life outside the house without needing them.
DD has a sock monkey that she sleeps with. At home it stays in her crib. The only place she takes it is to her dayhome so that she has the comfort of it while she is napping there.
I guess we'll agree to disagree. I see it no different than you always having a staple item on you for your lo when you leave the house. I'm sure there is something you always have on you when you're out. I don't see grabbing a lovey any different than grabbing a snack cup or a sippy.
This is us exactly....although I really don't know that E would care if the bear were gone. I think he's more attached to the blanket than the bear.
Why do you care? If you don't find it necessary, then don't let your LO do it. But I don't see why it matters if other kids are attached or not.
I only let DS use his blanket and paci in the house for down / sleeptime. If we are going out during nap or bedtime I will bring them with us and give it to him at the approiae time. We bring them when we travel but once we get to our destination they stay in the "house" (hotel room, ect).
My silly Lily is almost 4.
DD doesn't really care about hers, but DS does, and I let him take it wherever he wants to for the most part. Sometimes it stays in his crib all day, sometimes it doesn't leave his side for 48 hours straight. We have 2 of them, and they get rotated and washed on a regular basis. He takes it in the car a lot, and while I try to get him to leave it in the car while we run an errand, if he fights to take it in I usually let him. Especially places like the mall, because it's the only thing that will keep him from throwing a fit to get out of the stroller after 5 minutes. He also takes it into the doctor's office every time we go, because he gets anxious there because he associates their office with getting shots which he hates. My only rule is that he's not allowed to leave it laying on the ground, or throw it out of the stroller. He gets one warning in either of those situations, and then it goes in my purse. He will now actually hand it to me to hold for him when he doesn't want it anymore, so chances of it ending up "disgusting" from being on the gross floors are slim to none.
I figure the poor boy already has enough crap going on in his life right now with having to adjust to DH being gone for a year. He's very untrusting of a lot of situations because of it, especially if I have to leave him (which is why he also takes the lovey to daycare), and if dragging around a tiny blanket with a monkey head on it helps him feel more comfortable then so fvcking be it, and if anyone wants to judge me for that, they can come try to be a better parent to my children in a very tough situation for them.
I think if Harrison really, really cared, I'd let him take his monkey everywhere.
Sometimes he'll carry him into our bedroom in the morning, but we always put monkey back in the crib when we leave the house. & he has a monkey that is just for the car, but we don't take it into stores.
No, it lives in his crib.
How is it odd? it is not like they are smoking a butt to relax. They are caring around a stuffed animal for comfort. Some toddlers are more attached than others. My daughter (now 5) brought her blanket in the stroller until she was 2. Now it stays in her bed. It really is not much different than adults attached to their cell phone. When was the last time you left that behind?
DS brings it everywhere! We have spares so we can wash it. Plus, the world is a dirty place. They are going to eat pounds of dirt in their lifetime anyway, so that isn't a valid argument in my mind.
Really, I am all about choosing my battles. If he wants to take it somewhere, why should I take it away? There is no harm in it.
I always carry chapstick with me, so maybe we just have addictive personalities.
I just find it odd they are at the playground to play and still have to drag an animal around with them. I do take my cell phone with me everywhere for safety reasons, but I am not carrying it around and talking on it while I'm doing something with my son.
Your cell phone brings you a sense of comfort. You know that if anything happens that you can call for help. Toddlers feel anxious going places, playing with new kids, and they feel uncomfortable because they have no control in their life. Their blanket or stuffed animal is a constant, they control it and it makes them feel good in new situations. Not any different than you bringing your phone.
I guess we can agree to disagree. I see your point, but kids will always feel some anxiety in life. What happens when you let your kid carry their bear around to the playground, the mall, etc until they are 4-5 years old because it makes them feel good and then they go to school. Undoubtedly they will feel anxiety, but they won't be able to take their bear to school to help them out. I'd prefer not to even start that kind of habit. It will just be harder for them when they get older.
Most kids grow out of it. Not one 5 year old in my daughters kindergarten class brings a lovey to school with them. They learn to deal with their anxiety in a different way. Children mature and are no longer the irrational impulse driven toddler you see at the mall with their stuffed animal. BTW most teachers will let an anxious child bring a small token from home to comfort them. The teacher helps them to transition away from it.
Um, hell yes we bring it with us. We usually leave it in the car if we're going to the store or will be playing outside, but Didi (her blankey) goes where Sophie goes. It's necessary.
I don't think it's bad at all, in fact, I'm happy that she has an item that brings her comfort. Kids grow out of these things. She's not going to be bringing it to 2nd grade.