The blanket is an object of comfort and security for the child. From the age of 5/6 months, babies like to grab hold of and snuggle up against a blanket to fall asleep or calm down. Around 8 months, the attachment is real. This is why the child is often inconsolable and the parents distraught when he is lost. Our advice to take charge of the situation without panicking.

You have looked absolutely everywhere but your child’s blanket cannot be found… Baby cries and feels abandoned because his blanket accompanied him everywhere. The loss of this object is experienced as a drama by the child because his blanket is for him something unique, irreplaceable. The smell and appearance that it has acquired over the days, months, even years, are elements that soothe the child, often instantly. Some people need to have their blanket with them all day long, while others only ask for it when they are sleeping, when they are grieving or when they find themselves in a new environment.

Its loss can disturb the child, especially if it occurs around the age of 2, when the child begins to assert himself and to make anger.

No need to lie to your child, it will not help the situation. On the contrary, if you tell him that his blankie is gone, baby could feel guilty. Be honest: “doudou is lost but we are doing everything to find it. It is possible that it will be found, but it is also possible that it will never be found ”. Make him participate in the research to find him. However, do not panic in front of the child because this will only accentuate his grief. Seeing you panic, your baby may think the situation is serious when it is quite manageable.

No, this is not a joke, there are indeed sites that help parents looking for a lost blanket.

Doudou and Company

In its section “Doudou you are where?”, This site offers parents to check if their child’s comforter is still available for sale by entering its reference. If the blanket is no longer available, parents are invited to fill out a form to provide as much information as possible about the lost blanket (photo, colors, type of blanket, material, etc.) in order to be offered a new blanket. as similar as possible.

Cuddly toy

This site lists more than 7500 references of soft toys, which increases your chances of finding the same one that was lost. If you do not find what you are looking for among all the models offered, you can try to post a photo of the lost blanket on the site’s Facebook page so that members can help you find the same one.

The Mille Doudou site offers the same thing, namely more than 4500 comforter models with a classification of comforters by brand.

Try to offer him the same blanket, new. It is very likely that baby will not accept it because the object will obviously not have the same smell and the same texture as his old blanket. To avoid the risk that your child rejects this new blanket, imbue it with your scent and the smell of the house before giving it to him. To do this, wash the blanket with your usual detergent and place it in your bed or glue it against your skin.

Buying the same blanket or taking back an almost identical one does not always work. To help him “mourn” the lost blanket, choosing a different blanket may be a possibility. Rather than forcing him to choose another one of his soft toys as his new blanket, suggest that he choose a new blanket himself. The child will feel free and will be happy to participate in this quest for a spare blanket.

The loss of the blanket is the fear of parents. Unfortunately, this often happens. So better to plan ahead:

• Have several soft toys in reserve in case one of them gets lost on a walk, at the nursery, with friends. Preferably opt for the same model or get your child used to having a different blanket depending on where he is (at home, at the nursery or at the nanny’s). Thus, the child does not become attached to a single blanket.
• Wash the blanket regularly. This way, baby won’t reject a new blanket that smells like laundry. Before washing it, always warn the child by telling him that his beloved blanket must be machine-washed to get rid of germs and that after that it will no longer smell the same.

And why not see the glass half full in this kind of situation? The loss of a blanket can be the occasion for the child to separate from this habit, as for the pacifier. Indeed, if he categorically refuses another blanket, perhaps he feels ready to abandon it on his own. In this case, encourage him by showing him that there are other tips for falling asleep or calming down on his own.