All About the Lovey

Can you recall your favourite stuffed animal or special blanket you had as a young child? Maybe you still have it stashed away as a special comfort item! It is very common and normal for young children to develop a special bond with a lovey, stuffed animal, blanket or other comfort objects during their early childhood. 

Let’s talk about a lovey and how to safely and effectively introduce them to your child’s sleep routine.

What you’ll learn from this blog:

• What is a lovey 
• When to introduce one?
• Why use a lovey?
• Key features of a lovey
• How to introduce a lovey

What is a lovey?

A lovey is a special object, such as a stuffed animal, blanket or item (like babydoll), that your child forms a special relationship with to provide them comfort. 

A specific clothing item of a parent (e.g., like Mum’s t-shirt) could also be a comfort item that your child could sleep with or have close-by to snuggle with when needed.

When to introduce a lovey 

As per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), their guidelines suggest not to introduce anything extra into baby’s sleep space until 12 months old. Up until this age, your baby’s sleep space should be free from stuffed animals, pillows, comfort blankets, bumpers and loose bedding. 

Why would you use a lovey?

The purpose of a comfort item is to provide your child with security during transitions (e.g., crib to bed, rocking to independent sleep, etc) and new experiences (e.g., new room, new bed). A comfort item can also add familiarity to new environments such as during travel, daycare or sleeping over at a grandparent house. 

Key features of the perfect little buddy

With no shortage of cute stuffed animals out there, you may be wondering what are some key features of a lovey you may consider when choosing your baby’s first stuffed little friend. 

• Soft: no hard parts in the event your baby rolls onto it during their sleep
• Small: big enough to snuggle and pickup but not too big that it overtakes their sleep space 
• No loose parts: think no beady eyes or buttons that may come loose and be a choking hazard for your curious little one
• No sounds: a talking bear may be the final distraction that could prolong your child’s bedtime. If your child is older, they may be able to tolerate a stuffy with gentle sounds/song.
• Easy to duplicate: if your child has formed a connection with a specific item, try to have an extra (or two!) incase one gets lost, misplaced or needs to be washed

My daughter’s first lovey is by a small shop in Hamilton (@_littleboos_) and my son’s first lovey was this one. 

In our family, we don’t have duplicates of either because we’ve introduced other small stuffies into their routines so they haven’t formed an intense relationship with the first one (but I have!)

How to introduce a lovey

If your child is over 12 months, you may be ready to introduce a lovey. Here are some initial steps you might take to make the transition:

• Consider the lovey you’re interested in using and ensure it meets recommended features
• Sleep with the lovey yourself for a few nights or tuck it into your shirt for a few hours to transfer your scent to the item. This tip will be especially helpful if you’re transitioning from co-sleeping to separate sleep spaces and want to help support your baby with a lovey scented of you.
• Introduce the lovey into parts of your baby’s nap and bedtime routine (e.g., brush the lovey’s teeth just like you do your child’s)
• Consistently have the lovey available in their sleep space for all sleep situations. 
• Be patient with the process. Your child may not connect to the item right away and that’s ok. If they toss it out of the crib, you can replace it in the crib 1-2 times then let it be to avoid a game of bunny ping-pong. 

Tips for your older child’s sleep journey

If you’re introducing a comfort item to your older child, you may want to involve them in the selection of their lovey. Having their involvement with this selection process will make them more interested in the item and more likely to form a longstanding connection with it. 

Some tips to get them involved:

• Bring them to the store and give them choice (e.g., hold 2 options up for them to choose from). 
• Have your child give their new lovey a special name.
• Allow your child to engage in pretend play with their lovey at bedtime (e.g., tuck stuffy into bed, dress stuffy in pajamas, etc.).
• Tuck the lovey in to your shirt to keep you close during bedtime.
• For some children, they may accept when you show your child how you give a bunch of kisses to the lovey and if they miss you in the night, they can snuggle their lovey for those kisses. 

A comfort item can be an excellent addition to a baby’s sleep journey (when over 12 months). They can provide comfort, predictability and security during sleep at home and novel environments. Your child doesn’t have to have a lovey to be a good sleeper, either. Using a lovey isn’t a requirement for childhood so if your parenting preferences don’t align with stuffy use, that’s ok, too!

Wishing you long naps and easy nights,

Chelsea

 

Chelsea is Mom of 2 young kids and a Certified Baby, Toddler and Child Sleep Consultant supporting families within Hamilton and beyond with hands-on, no cry-it-out, responsive methods. She has a Master’s of Professional Education and over 10 years of professional experience supporting families in the community. She works collaboratively with families to empower them with the confidence and tools they need to reach their unique sleep goals. Hear from other rested families here and book a free call with Chelsea here to discuss how she can support your family’s journey to more sleep.