Transition or Comfort Object

As an adult there are some smells which help us remember events or people and there are some smells which help us to relax. Many adults sleep best in a freshly laundered bed. Infants have a much more acute sense of smell than adults. Consequently when we want them to relax, or to go to sleep we should consider what smells might assist them.

We use swaddling to offer a sense of being held without the need for a parent to hold the little one. The firm constant, all over body pressure is comforting for newborns because they have always experienced firm physical boundaries before birth and often find it relaxing to have similar pressures afterwards.  As they grow and experience life they look for other comforting things like a regular routine which demonstrates what is expected of them.

Transition objects, a soft toy, a piece of material which smells of mum can be really useful and comforting to little ones. Introducing such an object at between 4 to 6 months can be very helpful for some babies. Choose a soft object which can be washed. Hold it between your body and your baby as you feed. This allows your "smell" to permeate the object which then goes with your little one for EVERY sleep. Put it where baby can smell it but be sure that this is not going to make your little one overheat. Putting it above baby's head, across from baby's face, or near baby's chin can be possibilities. The smell of mum means she must be close by. Closing your eyes and still being able to smell mum can be really reassuring. When you have recently washed this object hold it between you again so that you refresh the "mummy smell" before returning it to use.

Transition objects are things we have chosen for our children, they will choose their own when they
 are older. These work better for some children than others and some people believe the work best between 6 and 18 months when many little ones are more anxious about separation from mum.

When children become toddlers they will select something to carry with them or take to bed with them and this may continue to be the object you choose so long ago, or it may be something entirely different. If a soft toy which cannot be washed becomes the object of choice it can be freshened and any dust mites killed by wiping with a damp cloth and then putting it in a bag in the freezer for a few hours. It can then be returned to the child.


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Transitional Objects

Transitional objects are usually soft toys. They are chosen to help a child cope with separation from the parents, situations which may be unfamiliar and to provide a level of reassurance. Some children become very attached to a soft toy that has been with them since they were babes in arms.

Sometimes these objects are chosen by the parents and sometimes they are chosen by the child. Some children never need a "transition object", they have enough confidence to master any social situation without recourse to a soft toy that reassures them with it's presence.

Transition objects should be small and washable, but do remember that it is not just the shape and form of the object, the texture and the smell of the object also matter.

For this reason some children may reject the object of their affection immediately after it has been washed. Parents are concerned that the toy is dirty, smelly and sticky, the child is unperturbed. Certainly for reasons of infection prevention, and basic hyigene it is important to be able to clean the toy.

These much loved toys travel with the child and can help in settling a child to sleep.

These toys are important for a particular stage in a child's life. They will grow out of their attachment, but, while it lasts, having a particular cuddly toy is very important and can be a positive support to a less confident child.