how to get rid of your todler's comfert object?

Question

my girl carries a barney stuff animal aroud with all the time she takes to go potty, to eat, timeout, evey ect she even takes when we go some where she does not leave home with out it
if i try get her to leave it at home or she does not have it she will sceam how to get rid of it help me please.

Answer 1

you don't. The person that said to just deal with the screaming is wrong....it's a security object and a comfort item...therefore, she may at this point need her doll with her just so that she feels more secure - nothing wrong with that. She'll grow out of it and not need it as often and will probably eventually just use it to sleep with. If you're really set on it, you could try something like this, if you go to the mall, try letting Barney ride in the basket below rather than with her...he's with her but not WITH her...and tell her that if she feels uncomfortable, she can have him back, but Barney told you that he feels like taking a nap down in the basket because he's tired. If she starts to feel uneasy, then you still have him with you and can show him to her or she can hold him...baby steps. :) No point in making it a horrific event for her....have some fun with it.

Also - DON'T let people on this thing tell you that you are a bad parent re: some comments made. You people are awful....

Answer 2

There are several things you can do. Is it a large stuffed animal, try replacing it with a smaller one or another object of her choosing. Some people will tell you just to take it away and let her deal with it. I wouldn't reccomend this. It needs to be done gradually. You could try something simple to start with, tell her everytimr she goes potty she needs to leave her Barney outside the bathroom door. You could have her try going into the bathroom a few times without having to go potty just to show her that it will still be there when she comes out. When she is comfortable with this, try taking it in the car, but not into stores or restaurants. It may take a while, and it may be frusrtating, but if you do it gradually and don't force her to give it up, one day she will leave it behind and not even think about it.

Answer 3

If she was 14 this would be a problem. As she's obviously little - she will grow out of it. My 4 children have all had their favourite "buddies". My daughter 11 has a doll named Meg - Meg was her life. She adores her. Meg is dirty, marked with pen, but loved so much (read the book "The Velveteen Rabbit" with your child). She grew out of having Meg as her comfort object but still keeps her on her shelf and loves her.
My son, 9, has a soft tiger named "Thor" He STILL takes Thor with him in the car (but leaves Thor in my bag at the shops) and still sleeps with Thor.
My next son, 3, has an Elmo. We left Elmo behind once and had to drive all the way back to get him.
My baby hasn't discovered her favourites yet - but I'm sure she will. Don't worry about it. It's not a bad thing and she'll grow out of it eventually - it's her friend.

Answer 4

Why would you want to take anything that gives your child comfort away? Having that stuffed animal with her everywhere is a familiar object that she can always have with her. Children need routine and familiarity to become healthy, well adjusted beings. She'll grow out of it when she is ready. My little girl has little blankets she calls "baby" and carries them everywhere. Now at 4 and in pre-school, she leaves "baby" in the car seat when we drop her off so baby doesn't get dirty or lost. Sometimes "baby" goes in with her to school if she is feeling stressed but stays in her cubby. As she gets older, she is less and less reliant on it but still wants it at night for comfort.

Answer 5

My son had a blanket we took everywhere, I had to sneak in his room to clean it while he slept, it was gross and falling apart. Yes we took it from nasty restaurant bathrooms to the kitchen table, When he turned 3 I told him it was time to leave it at home, He was sad but under stood, He is now 4 and a half and still has it, It is not as important but he does need it to sleep at night, I have gone all over our house at bed time trying to find the darn thing, I see nothing wrong with him having it to comfort himself, My mom got rid of my brother blanket and just felt horrible as he cried for days, I would just talk to her about trying to leave barney in the car at first and then work towards leaving him at home.

Answer 6

I absolutely agree with the general consensus here. I slept with my security blanket till I was about 13, and I only stopped then for the blanket's sake. By the time I was old enough to go to school, I wasn't carrying the blanket around everywhere all the time, so it wasn't a problem.

Answer 7

Maybe get her a little keychain to hook on her jacket when she goes some where, and tell her that it's so her other one doesn't get dirty...they make some pretty neat ones for Barney...maybe having it would help...she'd still have soemthing with her, but not as big and in the way...

Answer 8

as a person with a degree in early childhood YOU DO NOT!! as she gets older she will on her own leave it at home or in the car but for her this is a part of home and makes her feel safe this is not a reflection on you or your parenting skills or her home life many children will do this and it is normal so let it be!! and since it is not something that is harmful to her or her heath it should not be a problem!! so please leave it alone!

Answer 9

Why are you trying to get rid of it??? If she is needing the comfort, why not let her have it??? When she is ready, she will let you know. My 8 yr old son carried around a stuffed duck until he was about six, and we just told him he couldn't take it to school w/ him. One day he just gave it to me to pack away w/ his other baby things.

Answer 10

Let her keep it with her. She'll grow out of it eventually. Being a toddler is scary, that's just the way she gets comfort. You'll have more problems the more you make an issue out of it.