Unhappy children more likely to take toys to bed with them?

Question

Does taking a toy or other object to bed indicate
a psychological need for more affection in a child? I ask because I know someone who even in adulthood takes a small cushion to bed and has a poor relationship with her father, and a child who takes toys to bed (no father). Any constructive input welcomed!

Answer 1

This is a good example of how erroneous it is to make sweeping generalizations and conclusions from an anecdotal "sample" of 2. There is absolutely no reliable and valid psychological research that supports the notion that children who take toys to bed with them are "unhappy" or need more affection.

Answer 2

Interesting? For a child the psychological and attachment for sleeping with their favorite toy is security. Security, is something that identifies a need that everybody at any age desires. In adulthood, the cushions (toys) that a person takes with to bed could indictate a need for security, pleasure, habit, function, or preference. A child's needs are primarily for security, but an adulthood tends to have more elements that contribute to this need. Personally, because I truly believe that people have more similarities than differences the relationships that we may or may not with their biological parent, mood, or sex has little signficance in determining who's more likely to sleep with that special toy.

Answer 3

It's more of a security thing, but it can be interpreted as anything including poor relationships with the subjects parents. If feeling neglected as a child by those who are supposed to love you, you would find something else to fill the void, in this case a cushion.

The child probably just feels the need for security, having grown dependent on her mother and knowing that he/she cannot be with her 24/7. He/she will grow out of it, probably.

Answer 4

It can mean several different things. Some children use a toy as protection and security and sometimes they use it for the lack of affection in the household. I mean some adults even do it i splet with Ragdy Andy Doll for 12 yers because i owuld pretend that i was sleeping in the arms of my lover. I was yearning for something and that is probably wat is happening

Answer 5

My son takes a stuffed toy to bed with him. He says it makes him feel safe at night.