Top 5 Ways to Use a Baby Blanket, Part 5: Freudian Sleep
Sometimes a blankie is just a blanket.
This past week, we’ve looked at the many ways that baby blankets help young children develop, calm down, think, explore, play, and get on with their lives.
Let’s end this series by getting to a blanket truth: they are a must-have child development tool for parents.
Even the simplest blankies assist parents with one of the most important infant needs: Sleep. Make that peaceful sleep. To the parents of newborns, it feels like life will never normalize again — partly because a new baby’s sleep habits seem so erratic.
By the time your baby enters the settled period (between 12- 16 weeks) he will begin to recognize night from day. He’ll also detect a difference in the vibe at playful times versus supposed-to-be-sleeping times (partly because you’re such a bore when he tries to giggle with you at you at 3:35 am).
If parents provide consistent bedtime signals (you’re right not to giggle back in the middle of the night, btw), the settling in can happen more smoothly. The familiarity (smell, feel, pattern) of his favorite bedcover tells baby 1) it’s time to sleep, and 2) this is a good thing, remember?
A review:
- Your newborn baby’s blanket can serve his emotional development as his transitional object (see Part 1 from Monday).
- Until more motor control naturally develops, a lightweight, natural-fiber cloth or sheet can meet the newborn’s need for physical stability – his hug away from hug (re-read Tuesday’s Part 2: “The Swaddle”).
- Social development gets a boost when an older, sturdier baby enjoys high-energy games with a loved one and a beloved blankie (see Part 3 from Wednesday: “Search Party”)
- Intellectual development (curiosity) will outpace his ability act on it. As motor skills catch up with curiosity, your older infant will want to reach out and touch an interesting, multi-textured coverlet (refer to Thurday’s, Part 4: “Touchy Feely”).
A worthy blankie, like a good parent, is capable of wrapping around a young child’s heart, mind, body and soul.
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Carly Jennings | Parenting Skills | 
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