My kids both have a stuffed animal they sleep with every night- DD6 has a bunny she has had since she was 3 months old and DS8 has a dog he has had his whole life too. They take it back and forth even on visitation weekend and sleep overs at friends and grandparents houses. I don't think that something like that is a big deal.

However, pacifiers really need to be gone by 2-3 years old- mine were on the later of that, they used it at night to sleep but by 3 they were off of them.

Stuffed animals I think are ok. I still have mine from when I was a baby. Binkies on the other hand are not good for a child to keep past a certain age. It can cause problems with their teeth and can cause an over bite.

I think it depends on the item. Things like pacifiers, bottles and diapers I don't consider as much "security items" Kids need to learn how to cope with change even on a small level and there is proof that pacifier and bottle use after a certain age can cause major dental problems.

As far as the blankets, stuffed animals, toys etc. I think that is a little different. I think those are things that are "theirs" and when they reach the point that they don't need them they will give them up. I have never been to a high school graduation and saw a kid dragging his blankie across stage with him.

I still have Ted E. Bear and I am 40. I don't sleep with him nor carry him, but he is safely stored away and a treasured memory. Lighten up.

And let go of the germaphobe crap. This whole "germ free living" hysteria has done nothing but weaken our immune systems and all that antibacterial crap has done nothing but create super bugs like VRE and MRSA. Stop it already.

My BS3 has a teddy that I encouraged. I don't use nightlights and we close his door at night so I thought something familiar that 'needed him to cuddle with him' was a good idea.

He doesn't want to take him places and if he did I would say no unless it was an overnight somewhere unfamiliar. I'm not sure at what age this becomes inappropriate but I think eventually its 'not cool' to have a blanket or animal and the kid will drop it.

My BS4 had a pacifier. It was no big deal to take it away from him. One day when he was about 3 the puppy at daycare chewed it and BS whined a little bit at bed time about it, but we just told him the puppy chewed it and oh well. He never asked about it again.

BS4 also has a blanket. Sometimes he cares about it sometimes he doesn't. I don't think it would be a big deal if it disappeared. I don't see the big deal with letting kids have a security item. I mean don't we all, even as adults have items that we cherish and give us some sort of comfort level? (favorite blanket, favorite stuffed animal, favorite sweater etc)

I agree with HRNY... don't see why anyone should care. So what if a kid has a blanket or stuffed animal that they can't sleep without? I don't see how it his hurting them emotionally or physically so who cares?

My bio never had a security item so I never had to deal with that.

BUT I have the same body pillow from when I was pregnant with BS8 and I can not sleep without it.

When I travel back home for the weekend to my mom's or even friends house I bring it to sleep with.

I dont bring it when traveling for work; only because I wouldnt bring it on the plane. LOL.

I have tried to get a new one (twice) but they are never the same as the one I have had. And I have tried to sleep without it and can never fall asleep and stay asleep without it.

i WISH yss10 had *A* security item!!!!!

he loooves stuffed animals and has probably 40 of them, not to mention the other 40'ish i've got bagged up in storage that he never even noticed went gradually missing. and blankets- there's at least fifteen of them that end up all over the damn house. he's got so much crap he cant keep track of any of it. (which also leads to a problem with him losing stuff all the time and not caring cuz it'll get replaced with more. ugh.) how i wish it was just ONE item!!!!!

I'm in my early 40s and STILL have a couple stuffed animals that live near my bed. I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
HOWEVER, it would be a much different story if I brought said stuffies out in public with me or couldn't sleep without them or whatever.

I don't think a kid above toddler age should have to take a security object everywhere they go.

My So's daughter with is 3 has a pillow pet she takes EVERYWHERE. But when we go in the store, we tell her pillow bug has to stay and guard the car. We are trying to make it her responsibility to keep track of it. Of course this is a learning experience so we go through a "checklist" when we leave; Hat, check, gloves, check,jacket,check. Then I or SO ask her if that's everything and then she will typically remember pillow bug if she doesn't already have it. I don't think it's a bad thing because she goes back and forth between houses. When it is forgotten we tell her oh well. We aren't driving to go get it, gas costs waaayyy too much for a pillow pet.

None of my 3 kids ever had a security item. In school, I knew a girl that had a security pillow. She literally took it on every sleep over until jr hi. It was weird.

My youngest, dd8 has a pink teddy bear - called "Pinky" lol.

Pinky has slept with her since she was a baby.

When my dd was 2 she was admitted to hospital - for two weeks she underwent a series of painful and invasive tests to find out what was wrong with her. At that time we lived on a smallish island with fair medical access - but no paediatric neurologist which is what she needed. So we were flown interstate to a big city hospital, just her and I. Of course Pinky came too.

Pinky was even given his own wrist band ID. LOL

MY dd suffers from anxiety and Pinky helps her. She takes him when she goes back to the island to visit her dad, and would be mailed express if he was ever left behind!! We do have some nights were we have to search the house because we can't locate the bear at bedtime, we all do it - me, OH, my bios and the skids - because we all understand that Pinky is important to my dd and no-one wants to cause her upset or stress. She has taken Pinky to school on occasion, and to dance class - where the teacher has put a tiny tutu on him and sat him at the front of the class.

When my dd is ready she will not need Pinky anymore, and he will be put away in her cupboard and kept as a cherished memento of her childhood.

Why rush things? If it bothers YOU so much to take the toys out in public make a rule that they stay in the car. Wash them if you feel they are dirty. (Pinky has baths and also goes in the washing machine with no fuss from either of them LOL )

I never had a security object and neither did bd18. bs5 goes through stages with things. there might be a couple of days when he doesn't want to let a certain item go, but after a few days, he's on to something else. sometimes he doesn't need anything at all. when he does have something he won't let go of, it's something unusual, like a pencil or toothbrush. bs7mos doesn't have a security object, but is too young to know if he will develop an attachment to something later.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it if a kid has a "lovey". as long as it isn't interfering with normal life, I don't see any reason to take it away. if it is interfering, than the child needs to be taught when it is appropriate to have said item and when it isn't, but I don't think it necessarily needs to be taken away. when it comes to pacifiers, that's a different story. there is definitely an age when that needs to go.