Pacifiers, Blankets, Bottles, and Thumbs: What Every Parent Should Know About Starting and Stopping

When should my child stop using a pacifier? How can I stop my child from sucking his thumb? When is a child too old to carry a teddy bear? Young children seem to form unshakable attachments to various objects -- blankets, stuffed animals, toys, television, even computers -- leaving parents to wonder: are these habits healthy? Which should be broken and how? Now, Mark L. Brenner, a family counselor and child therapist for more than twenty years, provides the answers to these questions. After reading Pacifiers, Blankets, Bottles, and Thumbs, parents will understand the critical role certain items -- called transitional objects -- play in the social development of a child. Parents will learn: * What the different kinds of transitional objects children use are * What benefits are linked to healthy transitional objects * What side effects occur when an attachment is prematurely eliminated * How to recognize when an attachment has become obsessive * How to help a child feel and act "bigger" * When sleeping in the parents' bed is not healthy * What to do when an older child regresses to early habits This comprehensive guide will provide critical insight into a child's evolution from toddler to self-sufficient individual and will help children naturally make the transition beyond the objects they attach to.