Did
your child use a transitional object?
Amy
is a 6 year-old who sucked her thumb.
Matt
is a 4 month-old who currently uses a pacifier.
Tim
is a 4 year-old who uses a stuffed Mickey Mouse as a favorite object.
Jordan
is a 3 year-old who uses a soft blanket object.
When
did your child begin using a transitional object?
Amy
began sucking her thumb at birth.
Matt
has used a pacifier since birth but only sometimes, "on and off".
Just today started sucking on his thumb, but would suck on fingers/fist
too.
Tim
only began using his Mickey Mouse toy about six months ago, so it really
can not qualify as a transitional object.
Jordan
began using her blanket when she was about 6 months in age. It was
then that we noticed she liked to be near the blanket, especially when
she was distressed.
How
old was your child when he/she stopped using a transitional object?
Amy
stopped sucking her thumb when she was age 4.
Not
applicable because Matt is still using his pacifier.
Not
applicable because Tim does not rely on the object for security.
Jordan
is still using her blanket.
When
or what part of the day did your child use the object the most?
Amy
sucked her thumb during the quiet times of day; nap time, watching cartoons
etc.
Matt
sucks more when laying by himself, when mother puts him down to play with
toys alone. He still sucks when mother holds him but not as much
unless he is hungry. Sucking usually is a "automatic" sign of hunger
for Matt.
Tim
likes to have his toy when he sleeps.
Jordan
likes her blanket when she watches television, goes to bed or quietly plays.
I also let her take it along when I need to run a list of errands.
The blanket helps to keep her occupied.
How
often did your child use the object?
Amy
would only suck her thumb if she was holding a soft diaper. I was able
to control thumbsucking with use of diaper. I would restrict where
the diaper would go.
"Matt
uses his pacifier a lot. Maybe 10 to 12 times per day."
Mother is not concerned about the frequency or need for a pacifier.
Tim
only uses his toy when he goes to bed.
Jordan
uses her blanket frequently.
In
your opinion, why did your child use the object?
Amy
used thumbsucking as a comfort thing.
Mother
feels that Matt uses his pacifier to soothe himself and he "enjoys it".
Tim
expressed that he liked Mickey Mouse after watching a cartoon. He
then asked for the toy after he saw the cartoon.
I
think Jordan uses her blanket because it is quite soft to the touch.
I think it is something familiar to her too.
Did
you have any restrictions regarding use of the object?
Amy
carried around a soft diaper whenever she sucked her thumb. I could
control her thumbsucking by removing the diaper. At 2 1/2 I only
allowed Amy to carry the diaper at home. When she was 4, she was
only allowed to have the diaper during bedtime. Eventually, I took
the diaper away.
Matt
is not restricted on the use of his pacifier. Parents will take it
away when it seems like he doesn't want it or he "spits it out".
They usually just give it to him "whenever" but especially when he whimpers/fusses
a little and she knows it isn't a dirty diaper, or hunger.
Tim
does not carry the object during the day, so we do not need to restrict
the use of the object.
I
haven't had any restrictions on Jordan's blanket use, yet! Eventually,
I think we need to come up with a plan to discourage Jordan from taking
the blanket with her and using it so often.
How
did you seperate your child from the object?
I
just took the diaper away from Amy. I told her that she was a big
girl now and could do without it.
Not
applicable because Matt is still using his pacifier.
Tim
seems to not be to attached to the toy. My spouse breast-feeded Tim
until his was 3. Tim still co-sleeps with my spouse and I now.
It seems to help Tim to not have fear and insecurity.
Jordan has not been seperated from her blanket yet.
In
your opinion, when is a child too old to use an object?
I
think that after 2 is too old for pacifiers. Parents have more control
over an object rather than a thumb. Pacifiers are a parents' way
of calming the child rather letting the child calm themselves. After
3 is too old for thumbsucking, because you must wean them off. A child
constantly has their thumb with them.
Mother
thought that they might try to wean Matt off a bit at 6 months if needed
or possible. Not really sure if there was an age that she was thought
that was too old to be using a pacifier.
No
response to this question.
This
is a hard question to answer. I think it is easier with pacifiers.
I am sure that it is time to start weaning Jordan off of taking her blanket
places. I think it depends on the child.
Did
you have any concerns about your child using a transitional object?
My
only concern with Amy was dental problems. As it turns out, she has
the straightest teeth of all my children.
Matt
is still an infant, but mother was very curious about how to eventually
wean him from the pacifier and if they should restrict his use of it.
Co-sleeping
with children is popular phenomenon in Asian counties. We, parents,
are concerned about the security of our children when they wake up during
sleeping time. The other reason might be due to limited living space
and no air conditioning equipment. That means my spouse and I must
sacrifice our privacy, but the result is my kids don't like to carry objects
the whole day. They believe that we will be there when they need us.
So
far I think Jordan has benefitted from her blanket. My only concern
is when and how to get her to depend on her blanket less.
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