The Transition – Making it Easy for Babies to take the Next Step

As a parent, we look forward to each stage of our childrens’ development. However, I found that I approached each of my childrens’ transitions with a feeling of dread or trepidation – do you ever feel the same?

Let me explain

Children are unpredictable, well mine are! Incredibly so in fact. It didn’t matter what was changed:
–  Bassinet, to cot, to bed
–  Visiting family or friends
–  Changes to nap schedules
–  Moving to bottle from breast
–  Any new foods while I was breast feeding
–  Starting on solids

Well you get the idea….

Any one of these factors would make my children clingy and hard to settle, which in turn left me and my husband exhausted.

Then something happened

But then something happened. My son started using his swaddle wrap more as a cuddle blanket and less as a wrap. With this wonderful square of fabric at hand, he became more settled and therefore, easier to settle. When my daughter came along, about the same age she did the same thing but with a soft toy pony “Popo”. 

Turns out, in our household at least, kids like having something that is theirs, that makes them feel safe. Even in a world of attachment parenting, my children would self settle like a dream with their chosen items.

As they have grown up, now 7 and 5, my son still has his ‘blankie corners’, although we change it weekly. My daughter has a revolving choice of animals, ‘Cwtch’ the owl, ‘Popo’ the pony or “Panda” the polar bear. With these friends by their side, it doesn’t matter where we go or who we see, they feel safe and settled.

The gift you can give

You too can give this gift to your friends and family! Next time you are heading off to a baby shower, or to visit a friend or family member with a new baby – take them the gift of self settle, take them a Cute Cuddles soft toy.