Although the idea of comfort objects seems to convey dependency, the opposite is true. When your child attaches himself to a favorite toy or pillow, he's actually taking a first step toward independence. According to psychologists, comfort objects are healthy attachments formed by children who tend to be emotionally sensitive. The difference is that your child has control over the pacifier and is able to use it when you're not available. This enables him to become less dependent upon you as he gets older.
Experts encourage parents to accept and support a child's connection with a comfort object.
Your child is establishing her independence in a progressive way and his blankie facilitates his growth. Comfort objects also provide babies with a piece of what's familiar when they face a new situation. For many babies, a blanket is the favored object. That blanket then becomes a valuable aid when he needs to adjust to an unfamiliar church nursery or learn to sleep in a new crib. By the time your baby is a year old, it's likely she'll have formed a passionate attachment to some toy or blanket.