What age for a lovey?

[mamarae]

When should/can you give your LO a lovey?

[nmledford]

HA! Whats a Lovey? Maybe it is too early for me to be on this morning. :lostit:

[ForCryingOutLoud]

Do you mean like a blanket, something for comfort?

Carson has his "gi-gi" he named his blanket was he was one. He has had it since around 9 months or so. He still has it. It helps him go to sleep by himself.

[joy7s]

I think after 6 months is too late.. I tried with both of my kids to offer it but they weren't interested!

[mamarae]

HA! Whats a Lovey? Maybe it is too early for me to be on this morning. :lostit:

LOL! I'd forgotten that I didn't know what a lovey was at one point in time! A lovey is a "transitional object" like a teddy bear, blanket, stuffed frog, etc.

[kannondicarpo]

Nikolas hasn't taken to anything yet but there are a few things that I routinely give him (they are all things that I can replace easily). I wonder if he will end up using one of them or if he will choose something else altogether (or not use one at all).

[sprout18]

My boys each have thier own thing (or did) and each got them at a different age. My youngest has his doggie (its a small blanket type thing that has a stuffed animal doggie head and taggies all around it) and we gave him that at about 5 months and he just clung - he still carries it around and loves it. Ds#2 has his blanket that we bought him when he switched from the crib to a toddler bed around age 1 and he still uses it but its getting too small now so we need to get him another. Ds#1 had a monkey that I picked up at the dollar store. We gave it to him about 6 months old and he carried around everywhere until about age 1.5.

[semicrunchy]

Both my kids were different. Sadie had a little stuffed dalmatian that she sort of favored, but when I gave her a stuffed kitty at age 1, she immediately bonded. Her name is Penny Kitty, and we have already gone through one. THe replacement has been loved so much, it has holes in it that I am trying to keep sewn up. If I find another one, I will buy it. I got it at Cracker Barrel in TX, and my in-laws picked up the current replacement at a Cracker Barrel in up-state New York.

Seth has had a lovey since day 1. It is a little blanket with an Eeyore head on it. He sleeps with it only. We don't carry it around with us everywhere yet. He immediately grabs it when I lay him in his crib. It is sooo cute to watch him snuggle with it:giggle:

[MacMama]

My DD got really attached to her "boppa" (a pink fleece blanket) when she was 1. I was so worried we'd lose it that I cut it in half so I had a back-up. (We actually did lose one a few months ago, so I had to cut the half in half-- so now at almost 2 1/2, her boppa is only about a square foot. :goodvibes: It's now a nice portable size, and she never seemed to mind the smaller version. (she just called it her "lil boppa" instead)

[nmledford]

Jude can not go to sleep with out one of his Fluffy's! HA! I bought hi the Ty baby fluffies. I ask his doctor and he said as long as it was small and he could move it it was fine to give him at 4-5 months. Jude goes to bed awake and raises his arm for me to place it under. I gave it to him since 4 months old. He used to rub his own head and hair. :goodvibes:

[sahminaz]

I was thinking about loveys the other day. I see so many kids with them. None of my kids have ever been attached to any object at all. :headscratch: They have toys and blankets they like but they dont carry them or have to have them. Anyone else??

[lilyfish]

I'm pretty sure you can give a lovey at any age (nothing super big at a very young age, so they can't suffocate). Jed's lovey is my boobs. :giggle: I try to put him to sleep with various blankets & stuffed animals, but he has not really attached himself to anything yet. Katerina (now 21 months old) got attached to something all by herself, with no help from anyone. I put her down for a nap with a big teddy bear ONCE and she now cannot sleep without it, calls it her "doggie" lol.

[Mirasmom]

I think before about 9 mos they switch around with things so much. You can try to encourage one thing, but it doesn't work all that well. With DD we started and 9 mos- she just started REALLY needing and wanting it at about 10 1/2 mos. Now I'm afraid we created a monster!! If you're really consistent about one particular thing from birth I'm sure it could happen sooner (like with a paci). Several of my friends said their kids latched onto something by themselves around 10 mos or so- even if they didn't want them to!

[baby1577]

I introduced my son to his lovey when he was about 3 months old. He enjoyed holding it/playing with it/whatever all along, but right around 9 months it was a must have type situation. Now we have 15:blush: and he always has at least one with him wherever he goes.

[rainbowbrite812]

charlie didn't get attached to his blanky till he was about 1 year...but that's also when he got it.

macky had his from birth, but switched up till he was about 5mos & got attached.

E has his from birth and only sucks on that one...i think he's attached.

[kmdchuckles]

i think our DS was given his first very early, but he didn't become attached until we used it to ween nursing to sleep around 12 months. i or my DH would lay it on my chest to cover the boobies and rock him to calm. now he's totally attached to sleeping with it. but we have a no lovie out of the crib rule. I will not be responsible for it getting lost!

[razz116]

Nate picked his own lovey...it's a couch throw that we used to use when sleeping together. He now sleeps with it in his crib and doesn't like to sleep without it. I think he adopted it around 9-12 months...don't remember when.

[MarchMama]

My dd picked her own lovey around 1....I'm trying to get ds to attach to one to help with nights here, but he's not buying it!! (he's 7 months, so I'll keep trying)

[leighi123]

I hope my ds doesnt get attached to anything - my sister is 18 and took her 'blankie' and 'pink puppy' to college with her - she wont sleep without them, other than that she is normal but I think its silly

[iris0110]

Well you can start with something at birth. If you have something in particular you would like them to attach to (like a blanket or bear or whatever) just make sure it is always there, and maybe they will take it, maybe not. I tried with Tharen to get him on to something, but just before his 1st b-day he latched on to Foxy, a stuffed fox we had picked up on a whim. Unfortunately he is hard to wash, and hard to get a double for. So if you do try to attach your child to a lovey of your chosing make sure it is machine washable and you can get duplicates (so not a handknit blankee from g-ma unless she doesn't mind making several). And if your child does take to something (wether it be something you chose or they did) buy several and trade them out constantly so they wear the same.

I dont' think most kids actually take to a lovey till around the 1st b-day, and I am not sure if it is a benefit or not. Kearnan didn't have one, Tharen does. There are some negatives, searching for Foxy in the middle of the night, or leaving him at g-ma's and having to run there at 11pm cause he can't sleep without it. But it also helps him self sooth, sleep longer, and it is helping him get through paci weaning (we lost his last paci and they don't make the type anymore, so we had to wean kind of suddenly). And I guess it is kind of cute.

[angel0123]

anything my son has as a lovey... taggie blanket and bear were giving to him b/f 4 months