We have all had our favorite stuffed animal, blanket, or constant take-along companion with us at point or the other. (Even if you don’t remember it, I bet your parents do!) Children especially infants take comfort in familiarity of non-mommy-daddy objects and this can be a great way to make your child comfortable no matter where you are!
Studies actually say that children who sleep with a constant “lovie” or an array of stuffed animals feel safer and sleep better, especially after making the move from an in-room bassinet or bedside sleeper into a crib. This is especially important if the crib is in it’s own separate room from where they are familiar sleeping.
In the hospital a nurse told us to take the baby into each room of the house slowly when you first bring them slowly so that they have a basic idea of the layout of the house. If the baby has spent a lot of time in your room or sleeping with you, experts recommend a gradual move to their own room, as a sudden change of routine can cause fear, panic, and stress.
If you are planning on moving your baby (and they are old enough to safely) be able to sleep in their own room the best thing to do is spend time in the room with your baby during the day. Playing with your child in the room will get him or her comfortable to the look and feel of the room. You can put the baby down into the crib intermittently, but make sure that you are near so that the child does not feel abandoned.
After a while your child will begin to feel comfortable in the crib, especially is surrounded by their familiar toys and blankets and will begin to enjoy playing alone for periods of time, which is good for mental development and aids independence and creativity down the road.
And even if baby has become too big to sleep in her bassinet, don’t just sell it or give it away just yet. The basinet is a GREAT personalized up-close to television seat and play area. I also move the bassinet with me when I blog so she is by the bed so that feels involved in what I’m doing rather than being ignored.
The more comfortable and loved a child feels the more independent and happy they will be and the easier it will be for them to adjust to new situations. So pour on the love. Good thing love doesn’t put on pounds like those part-partum cravings huh?
Tags: basinets, cribs, infants, sleeping, tips
Thanks for the tips.
I would just love to agree with you on having a security blankie because very simply no one would have heard from me after my daughter was born, if I wouldn’t have run across my daughter’s Wassie. It started innocently enough when I was on the phone. My daughter started crying when I would talk on the telephone. Then her cries turned to desperate cries of abandonment. It would just crush me till one of my girlfriends suggested she had just been given the Wassie by her mother-in-law and their son had found bliss with this snuggle buddy.
I tried it…we tried it! Love at first site. She went through a discovery period of a couple days, but all and all just having her own friend to hold, cuddle, even talk to while I was on the phone, it was like watching myself in the mirror. This friend, this Wassie then had an all access pass to everything and everywhere. We noticed a sense of security, assurance, confidence, and in her case after the initial everywhere she started doing things on her own as much as always having to at least know she was near. The true test came when after a couple days went by, she had to have her with her at night, gladly so because the intermittent sleeping seemed to stop almost immediately. I don’t know if it was timing or truly because of the animal blanket, either way for day or night we would recommend this Wassie day or night. Just in the hand-crafting alone our daughter seems to pick-up on the attention it’s been given. This style of Wassie is so cool, it even appeals to me, but most importantly she seems to feel a part of me that will always be with her long after this security blanket ends up in her hope chest one day.
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