children's comforters

When DS2 was born he was given a lovely, small and very soft teddy by a relative, I remember it propped up in the corner of the perspex hospital cot.

"Bed Ted" went everywhere, except on a holiday to America when DS2 was 9 (he was worried that he might get air sick! so he stayed at home with Grandma) He got left behind on a visit to family once, and had to be posted back, much worrying that he wouldn't be able to breathe !

I had to re-stitch his smile on a couple of occasions, as he was very much loved (my sewing isn't up to much, but it was ok).

He went with DS2 on his very last journey, tucked next to him in his coffin. but I thought it was lovely that the little bear had always been with him, even when he left home to start living his "grown up" life. Happy memories.

All of my children sucked thumbs or fingers and had blankies. It was always traumatic when they needed washing or were missing so my daughter sensibly gave her baby an ordinary muslin, of which they had dozens.
I also had a dog who sucked his furry strawberry toy.

DD2 used a terry nappy. Once, when she was in hospital, we forgot to take it. She wouldn't settle, so I went home for it, but discovered I didn't have a key. It so happened that we had a hole in the kitchen wall that day, due to builders starting on a kitchen extension, so I crawled through the hole. I hadn't the heart to go back without it. I discovered many years later, that she had taken the nappy, by now a rag, away to University with her. She is almost 40 now, and I suspect that she may still have a scrap of it somewhere.

Farnorth my children never sucked their fingers or thumbs, nor did they chew sheets.

My son had a small yellow blanket (blankie) which went everywhere with him and ended up grey. Whenever I put it in the washing machine he would stand watching it until it came out, and then stand on a chair beside the window watching it dry on the clothes line. I was mortified when he insisted it had to go to a family wedding, and it is on the photographs.

harrigran maybe your DC settled themselves by fiddling with a piece of sheet or sucking their thumb or finger, all unbeknownst to you.

My Daughter had a little yellow rabbit on a short ribbon, my Mum bought it for her, my Daughter took it everywhere, even on the bus, one day she suddenly discovered it wasnt with us and she shouted (she was about three at the time) "where is Bugabum" she couldnt say bunny or rabbit, so this came out much to the amusement of the other bus passengers, "Buggabum" is still around in a drawer, my Daughter is now 47
My Son had a normal dummy, for far too long!

Daddima My son just found a piece of material and decided he liked the feel of it and became attached to it they are called transitional objects. It actually helps a child to feel more confident and calm when the parent is not about.

www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Transitional-Objects.aspx

Daughter as a baby was given 2 matching small white teddy bears which were interchangeable (Used 1 while I washed the other) Now on their tenth(?) reincarnation and still in use. She's almost 36 with 2 children of her own and can still be seen cuddling one when she is stressed or tired!

DD1 was attached to a small tea towel bought from a door-to-door salesman who was disabled and attached to some sort of work charity (it was no good as a tea towel). We lost it one day in town and immediately retraced out steps from where we knew she had had it - only a short distance - and we never found it, we even looked in litter bins. I gave her a similar tea towel but she didn't attach herself to it. Later she became attached to a pink patterned flannelette (not sure of spelling) nightie I had made for her baby sister. It fastened at the back of the neck with a loop and a button (from my button box, see other post) and she always sucked the loop. It went grey and tatty! We don't know what happened to it eventually.

My son had pink bear. A small pram toy and he used to suck its feet, we offered a dummy but he hated it. My daughter like clothes tags and used to rub them between her fingers. Oldest GD has bun-bun and until she was three my second GD had a goo-goo (dummy) .

My daughter had a pair of my silk knickers! I really can't think how it all started but I well remember the cry " Where's knickers?" & they were once found down someone's sofa, where a rather disgusted voice said" ugh, whose are these?"! They went everywhere along with Gladys monkey & Lamb, known collectively as "Glaslamb'. Our son had nothing beyond his curls - we could tell he was tired or upset as his fingers went straight to the curls on his forehead. I still know now as, although he's 30 with a son of his own, his fingers creep to the tiny bit of hair remaining after a Number One haircut!

I Have to say, judging from my own children and grandchildren they attached themselves to favourite cuddly toys or blankets or other bits of cloth without any parental intervention. On at least one occasion my DiL made a bit of cloth with labels all round th edge to try to help the baby get to sleep. This was rejected in favour of the silky edge of the cellular blanket. Those with comfort objects have all been able to get themselves to sleep much more easily than those (like my eldest son) who had no particular comforter and didnt suck his thumb or a dummy, and just screamed! So Im all for them! The main problem is the panic of they get lost and my DiL has identical 'substitutes' for when they are washed or temporarily misplaced.

abcesses, where did they come from, I am sure I typed " she was".

My daughter had muslin squares. She took to them after I started putting one under her head in the cot or pram as she used to "posset" a lot when abscess a little baby. My son didn't need a comforter, he had his thumb.

DD had a small hand knitted yellow bear with a black felt nose ..made by Mil, took it everywhere and called it Andrew Crunchy !! used to twiddle its nose until she went to sleep, she still keeps her beloved Andrew in a shoe box , she'll be 45 next birthday.

I often felt like leaving my DD on some unfortunate souls doorstep in the hope that they would take her in. She literally cried continuously and was permanently red and snotty. Her little tight curls were always wet and looked like they were glued to her head. I would have given her anything to make her stop crying. She wouldn't/couldn't have a dummy as she couldn't howl and suck at the same time. We laugh about it together now and maybe it's because of this she hasn't got any children of her own.

None of mine had anything. #2 child was addicted to the breast, so when I had to have a lumpectomy, I reluctantly bought him a dummy, which was spat out immediately!
Grandchild #2 was a wee premmie, and the hospital recommended a dummy in conjunction with tube feeding, to get her to associate sucking with feeling full.

Can I ask this out of interest? How did the comfort items become such? Surely the parents must encourage this? I find it hard to believe that a very small child will refuse to sleep without a certain toy/garment/blanket.
This is not a criticism, as when #2 was at his peak, I'd have done anything to shut him up! ( Sorry, I meant to say " comfort the little treasure".

My 37 year old son still has his cellular blue blanket which went everywhere with him. I have just repaired all the satin edging which was falling apart, so that he can put it in his new baby daughter's cot. I didn't realise he sill had it! He would be mortified if anyone found out.

Rinouchka. My aunty in S Wales always calls Muslim people Muslins ( bless) she just thinks that is their name ?

DD1 did not have a comforter though she could have done with one poor girl! She was a cryer but did not take to anything special..she liked to hold a hand as she went to sleep!!

DD2 liked her 'blankie' a Mothercare cellular (fawn coloured)which eventually shredded and had to be knotted together. It is still somewhere in her house!

Two have French doudous, 5 Buns for DGS and 4 rabbit Stripes forDGD2. DGD1 has Lamby.

All four of our children had muslin cloths which had to smell a certain way. We decided this was due to the fact the I always lined the head part of pram or cot with one of them...and they all preferred to sleep on their side or tummy( a no-no for our Gcs now). DD2 used to use her muslin like a burka... But covering her nose in order to enjoy the smell!

One of our SiLs( not British), on hearing about this habit, was very confused and wondered why these cloths were "muslim!!"

DD1 had her 'down' - a pram quilt with horse print, and when it was washed she would stand by the line holding on to it! I finally cut it in half, hoping she wouldn't notice, so that we could have one half in use and one clean, or spare in case of a loss. DS1 had 'cuddly'; a piece of cellular blanket with satin edge, and once these items were produced, with hypnotic effect it seems after the bath, their eyelids would droop and sleep was never far away. What would I have done without

WHen my great nephew was born I gave him a stuffed pig. Percy. He would not part with it not even for it to be washed. IT got so filthy that I decided to buy him a new one.. it was difficult to find as pigs are not favourite stuff ed toys. BUt he rejected it. He is twenty one and Percy still goes everywhere with him even though it is just a head with a dirty piece of rag attached. He even showed it to his girl friend. He does have Aspergers and is easily upset.