Security Blankets for Babies: Friend or Foe?

What baby doesn't enjoy a soft cozy security blanket to cuddle up to in his crib or drag around when he is exploring? What Mother hasn't frantically turned her house upside down to find this blanket when it has been misplaced? Who hasn't called restaurants and friends in the middle of the night to find out if the sacred lost blanket is there? Airports must have a special room full of lost security blankets.

Do babies need a security blanket? Or are we headed for trouble once we gift them with this adorable soft piece of cloth that they cling to so dearly?

Psychology Behind Security Blankets

Richard H. Passman, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, initially set out to determine whether children with secure attachments to their mothers were more or less likely to have a security blanket. He found no link at all between the strength of the mother-child relationship and the passionate love of a toddler for his blankie. But surprisingly, researchers did find that children who were both insecurely attached to their mothers and strongly attached to their blankies seemed to adjust better to an anxiety-producing situation. "For these children, the blanket promoted play, exploration and non-distress in their mothers' absence," Passman says.

Security Blanket Dos

If you decide to give baby a security blanket, keep the following tips in mind.

DO Buy 2 of the Same Security Blanket. At Namely Newborns, we advise parents to make sure their babies have at least two of their favorite blanket. This way there is also a spare if one is in the wash or ever gets lost.

DO Buy a Travel Security Blanket. A smaller version of baby's security blanket will travel well and easily fit into mom's diaper bag. We discovered that our popular 32 inch Angel Dear security blanket is also available in a twelve inch blankie size. By having a travel blankie, you'll ensure that baby is never without his security blanket. Saves a lot of stressful moments.

DO Encourage a Blanket or Plush Toy - before your baby chooses another object. One of our grandkids used his bumper as a security blanket . This was fine when he was a infant, but as a toddler it was embarrassing and cumbersome to drag a 6 ft. bumper around the house. The problem was solved when his mother cleverly cut pieces from the bumper until it was finally small enough to tuck into a diaper bag and conveniently available to soothe the tired toddler during stressful moments.

One last recommendation: consider having baby's security blanket personalized. It makes a nice keepsake to have once your child has moved on from clinging to her security blanket.

Baby photo credit: Aunt Owwee