A Lovey Beyond Babyhood

The benefits of having a lovey for your baby will give them the security and comfort necessary to develop skills needed for later development. DW Winnicott, a prominent Psychologist in the 1950's, coined the term "transitional object", stating that, "a designation for any material to which an infant attributes a special value and by means of which the child is able to make the necessary shift from the earliest oral relationship with mother to genuine object-relationships." We are still applying this and seeing it first hand in children 70 years later through the lovey blanket. We watch children all the time, use transitional objects, and relate them to the outside world through both playtime and relationships. The lovey will also help encourage your little one to use their imagination more during playtime as a personalized instrument of self-expression.

Research shows that your child will experience increased confidence, greater self-value, and further empowerment in their environment. This is also important during times of stress when emotions begin to flow and can sometimes become overwhelming for your child. Instead of dealing with every stressor in an emotional way by crying, your child will be able to build confidence to work through the tears. A lovey in the early stages of development will not only help with sleep but assist later with self-confidence needed to handle these emotions.

Your child will feel reduced fear through the comfort with the lovey in order to take small steps toward more freedom both emotionally and physically. Just like a bicycle with training wheels, the lovey will provide the emotional security and confidence necessary to explore the world and make decisions outside of their parents.

^{Reference: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-guest-room/201407/more-just-teddy-bears}