Children's Attachment to Soft Objects at Bedtime, Child Rearing, and Child Development

Abstract

Research and theories about children's emotional attachment to blankets and soft toys are reviewed. New research is presented from an extensive study in Dunedin, New Zealand, on two samples of children between 18 months and 5 years. Interviews, questionnaires, and psychometric tests were given to the children and their mothers. Children who were emotionally attached to an object appeared to mature and adjust like other children. The only difference was that they were more likely to have a sucking habit. Mothers did not differ intellectually or in matters of discipline, adjustment, and child rearing. The younger children in the most affluent families were more likely to become attached compared with those from less affluent families, but survey techniques are inadequate for linking cause and effect which requires intensive observational studies during the first year of life.