Child Development With Security Blankets

Your young child has only been on the planet a few short years, and he is still trying to process and make sense of everything around him. A security blanket, often called a transition object, can provide comfort when your little one is feeling nervous, tired or sad. Letting your child have his security blanket is a smart choice, according to child development experts with the American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org, and will help your child navigate the often overwhelming waters of early childhood.

  1. Security Blanket 101

    • A security blanket is exactly what it sounds like. It's a blanket that provides security and comfort to a child who might be nervous about a new situation, scared to fall asleep on her own or upset that she got into trouble. In other words, a security blanket helps a child make transitions between situations more easily, according to the AskDr.Sears website. Other objects can work just like security blankets and might include a stuffed animal, doll, toy or piece of cloth.

    Why Security Blankets are Good

    • Security blankets don't pose any emotional or developmental hazard, according to HealthyChildren.org. While most children outgrow their attachment to a security blanket by the time they start elementary school, there's no reason to force your child to give it up before he's ready. Forming an attachment to things, such as a security blanket, paves the way for your child to form attachments to people and to gain independence. Your child's dependence on a security blanket doesn't suggest weakness or insecurity, and taking it away can be an emotionally traumatic experience for your little one.

    The Research is Intriguing

    • Intriguing research exists suggesting that a security blanket is a beneficial and important part of growing up. Forming an attachment to a blanket, or any other object for that matter, shows your child's ability to form a relationship, Douglas Davies notes in his book, "Child Development, Third Edition: A Practitioner's Guide." A study published in the journal "Cognition" and conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol and Yale University found that children show a clear preference for their original security blanket or transitional object, even when an identical copy is made. This, too, shows the correlation between a security blanket and the ability to form attachments and relationships elsewhere in life.

    Tips on Security Blankets

    • Let your child carry around her security blanket whenever she needs to, and don't try to remove it when she clearly needs it. Don't be tempted to replace her security blanket with a new toy, because this teaches her that attachments are disposable, the AskDr.Sears website cautions. You might, however, want to have a security blanket replica that has regular rotation in your child's life. This allows you to wash one or the other without a meltdown and also protects your child from trauma if one of the security blankets happens to get lost.

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