4y DCG OBSESSED With Her Blanket. HELP!!

[WImom]

Can anyone give me some ideas? Parents at home let her have this blanket all the time (which she ****s on-grosses me out). Anyways, I had her pretty good not screaming for this blanket everytime something goes wrong. BUT I went on vacation and now this kid is obsessed again with this thing. I'm assuming while I was gone she had this thing 24/7 again. I've been back almost a month now but things have not changed.

Anytime something doesn't go her way she wants it. I will let her have it if she gets hurt or it's nap time and that's it. I really want to talk to the parents about this obsession because this DCG is going to K5 next year (she turns 5 in April) and she won't even be able to bring it to school.

She's been here a year now so this isn't a new DCK. How can I approach the parents about this. She gets this blanket as soon as her parents get here and she comes in with it in the morning. I really think the parents need to only use it for sleeping as well. Also some tips on helping her calm down with out it would be great. She doesn't like affection when she's mad or hurt so it's hard for me to calm her down.

[AnneCordelia]

I have a 3.5 year old who has a bear he ****s on. I have explained to the parents how it disrupts our day, as a group, and now they are to have his bear in his diaper bag before he even gets out of the car. I don't ever see it anymore and he knows that he gets it at home only. Perhaps you need to have a 'leave it at home' rule?

I don't do comfort items for the over 2 age group. It's too easy to lose them and then you're up sh*t creek. LOL. Even with the under 2 group it's only at naptime.

[NiNi.R.]

I had a little boy one of those tiny little square blankets. The ones where one corner has the crinkle paper one corner has a teether and this particular one had a winnie the pooh head in the middle who he named poohnie. This little boy carried it EVERYWEHRE while ****ing his thumb. By age 4 with no sign that the parents had any intention of stopping this I decided to take matters into my own hands...No poohnie no thumb!

I told the parents I was going to prepare him for school and that he could no longer bring poohnie to my house. I'd stop him every time I seen him ****ing his thumb and during nap I would make him wear a thumb glove. I did this by cutting one of the fingers off of a knit winter glove.

Transition was rough at first but he soon learned that those things were only from home. Me taking charge made me the "bad guy" and the parents used that as an excuse in the mornings. "NiNi said no!"

Sure enough to this day (he's age 7) he doesn't **** his thumb at school or daycare but poohnie is always waiting for him in the car and DCM says he plops down in the car seat and his thumb goes straight to his mouth.

Most recently, I have an 18 month old girl who loves her binky. Everyday I would have her go throw in in her play pen and she would only be using it for naps. This has been going on for about 4 months. Monday the mom walks in and says we decided over the weekend that we will only be using the binky for sleeping. I said ok great we have been doing that for months now and I was considering taking it away for good soon. DCM was in shock "really?!"

sometimes i think parents are more attached to the lovies than the kids!

[Meeko]

I have it in my handbook that blankies, teddies etc. are for nap time only and not at all if they become a pain. Parents are to bring a blanket upon enrollment and it STAYS at day care. No back and forth drama. That way I can make sure it gets washed etc. Cuddle toys can come daily, but go into their cubby (which is in a child-proof closet so they cannot help themselves) as soon as they get here.

Blankets are a problem if carried all day. I explain to the parents that a toddler dragging a blanket around is a tripping hazard to me and the other kids and therefore is not allowed. The parents have never argued that point.

I have found that most of the time, it's the PARENTS that think their child can't live without the blankie/binkie/teddy etc. I have a 4 year old that comes every day with a bedraggled fluffy dog. His mother makes a huge saga of saying goodbye to the toy each morning as well as her child. Both get hugged and kissed etc. Drives me nuts! She's a wonderful client and a total sweetheart, but she is so sure that her son cannot survive without "puppy". The second we close the door, he hands it to me, skips off and I put it in the closet. He doesn't ever ask about it. According to his mother he CANNOT sleep without it. He's asleep in two minutes here!!

[cheerfuldom]

I took loveys away from an obsessed 2 year old. She did not get it AT ALL here, ever and she did stop asking within a week. no nap time even and she did just fine without them (actually a lot better without them!)

[WImom]

Thanks. Yeah, I just think if the parents would go to bedtime only this problem woud be so much better.

I don't give in her, it's nap only no matter how much you cry for it.

[quailsgarden]

I care for a 4 year old boy that was the same way with his blanket. Would have it 24/7, **** and chew on it etc. Not olny did the blanket smell like a gross dish rag it was starting to interfere with him playing and learning. I just told the parents that I would prefer the blanket to be left at home and that I found the blanket was causing some behaviorial problems. They understood and the blanket stays at home all the time now.