DD has become OBSESSED with a white stuffed puppy dog. We've had him for a while but in the past maybe 2 months she has to have him if she is at home and now she started sleeping with him. If she can't find him she searches the house calling for him by saying "woof woof" "puppy hiding/missing." It was cute at first but now it is annoying, she is always shoving it in our faces to play with it (we have to make it talk, dance, walk, bark, etc), she can't just play,eat, sleep w/out it, and we still have paci's too. Is this just a phase? I am also worried because it is white and it is already dirty and it was just some cheapy toy someone gave her at my old job when we came to visit one day, so I am just waiting for it to fall part. Any ideas on how to get her un-hooked on it? Hiding it isn't an option.
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Does your LO have a "Lovey"?
Holly has a stuffed polar bear. We got him at the zoo last year, and we asked her what his name was, and she something that sounded like "Wayne." It stuck. :-) Wayne is her BFF. However, Wayne stays in her bed or room. We let her bring him downstairs when she was sick, and we'll let her take him in the car on long trips. Otherwise, he stays in her bed, and she understands that. Could you limit him to just her room?
Also, as a polar bear, obviously Wayne is white too, so I get the icky factor. To make matters worse, she also chews on his ears & tail (has done this since we took her paci away at 18 mo). She knows she's not allowed to do this, and that it "hurts Wayne," but still does it as a soothing mechanism when she's in her bed trying to go to sleep. Besides it being gross (he gets stinky and crusty. Ugh), I don't consider it a huge deal. His ears and tail are completely worn though. But we wash him regularly. We don't even put him in a pillow case or anything, just throw him in the wash by himself, with detergent a small amount of bleach to disinfect, then rinse him twice. We even put him in the dryer (without fabric softener, since she chews on him). He's not as fluffy as he used to be, but she doesn't care.
Anyway, I don't think loveys are a bad thing. I'm actually glad Holly has a best buddy like that (I had one growing up too). But maybe limit her accessibility to him and see if that helps.
Caleb is attached to soft flannel receiving blankets, but not any specific one. (We have some from the hospital, some from the store etc). He has trouble sleeping without one, and when he's upset/tired he asks for his paci & blankie. We have always limited his comfort objects to his bed or the car. Its rare that he walks around with his blankie (or pack for that matter).
I don't really mind him having a "lovey". I think its really sweet. We will probably let him keep the blankie after we ditch the paci.
I can see its harder with J since she's attached to one specific toy. I would try telling her that the puppy has to stay in her bed and see how it goes. I bet after a day or so of hearing about it, she'll begin to adjust. GL!
This right here. If she feels secure with it, then I see no problem. I think I read somewhere that having a security object is actually a good thing for small children. If you're worried it will fall apart, start googling for a similar replacement.
DS has a blue elephant lovey (sort of like this, but the blanket is much smaller) and a stuffed puppy he sleeps/naps with, but he doesn't have to have it with him all day or everywhere. Usually in the morning when he wakes up, I make it a point to leave them in the crib, mostly so I'll know exactly where they are when nap time rolls around. If he's holding on to them in the morning, I have him kiss and hug them good-bye.
GL!
Catching up on sports news...
This right here. If she feels secure with it, then I see no problem. I think I read somewhere that having a security object is actually a good thing for small children. If you're worried it will fall apart, start googling for a similar replacement.
DS has a blue elephant lovey (sort of like this, but the blanket is much smaller) and a stuffed puppy he sleeps/naps with, but he doesn't have to have it with him all day or everywhere. Usually in the morning when he wakes up, I make it a point to leave them in the crib, mostly so I'll know exactly where they are when nap time rolls around. If he's holding on to them in the morning, I have him kiss and hug them good-bye.
GL!
Catching up on sports news...
Allie has a bear and a puppy. The bear is the bear you can get at BRU that holds a gift card. The puppy I got at BRU before she was born, it's a small stuffed puppy that rattles. (I keep meaning to get another bear... just incase this bear goes missing, but I haven't done it yet. I've already looked for a puppy, they don't make the same one, so I got a different one for backup. She takes her backup puppy to the babysitter's house.)
Anyways, she only sleeps with her bear and puppy... but she has to have them or she will not go to sleep happy. She cuddles them both all night long. She rarely ever has them out of her crib. I am glad she has these things.
This sounds less like a lovey, and more like a toy of the day/week/month.. For example, right now, nightly we must feed Muno dinner made in her play kitchen, let him dance and march to music we play on her keyboard, and then shove him into the Little People school bus. Then Foofa. Then Brobee... you get the idea.
Luckily, it's not really annoying yet (especially since it's just in the evenings since she's in DC all day), but I can already see it getting old eventually. LOL.
But if it's bothering you that much, I'd just put him away. Don't make a big deal about it, just hide him either just for a little while, or indefinitely. If she asks for him, explain that puppy is at the store. or at the beach. or visiting his puppy friend. or taking a nap, or whatever works. :-) I'm sure she'll be upset by it at first, but I bet she'll eventually forget about him, and move on to something else.
Connor is 3.5 and has only just recently become very attached to a "lovey". He has a small stuffed dog that the hospital gave him when he had his tonsils out. They gave it to him right before he went in for surgery, let him take it back with him and he had it when he woke up. Every since, it has been his right hand puppy. He has named her Greta and I have to make scarfs for her. He sleeps with her, plays with her, takes her to MeeMaws, etc. She is with him practically at all times. For the longest time I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with him because he DIDN'T have something he was attached to. She is small and cute and he loves her so I definitely don't mind. He also has a little moose (Rudolph) that he loves but not quite as much as Greta. Here's a pic of him and the two of them the night "they became best friends".