Importance of Stuffed Animals

There are many points in a child's life where they are bonded to certain people or objects. At birth, it's a mom, eventually it's a wife or husband, in between it's a lot of friends that people are bonded with.

But it's not just people; children in their formative years create very strong bonds with their toys. They bring a special truck or a blanket everywhere they go. By far the most beloved toy, however, is the stuffed dog or stuffed cat that they received when they were very young.

Children form bonds with these animals often because their bonds with people are changing. You will find that many children once their mothers go back to work are more attached to a particular stuffed toy. It is also a stuffed dog or cat that they will cling to when they are in a hospital and afraid of new surroundings. Their attachment to these objects can last from childhood well into adulthood.

Their relationships with these stuffed animals are not simply for bonding, children are learning to interact with people every day of their lives. No time is more important than the formative years! At a young age, children are watching adults interact with adults, children interacting with adults, and children interacting with children. These interactions are then mimicked by the child with the things they are most attached to. While they do "baby babble" at their parents quite often (and much to the joy of their parents) they are not always around to have "conversations" with. This is when children start having conversations with their stuffed animals. These interactions are important because this is when infants and toddlers begin learning about talking and listening.

It's not simply talking that is advanced by the stuffed dog in the crib; it's also helping build them developmentally by stimulating imaginative play. A child playing with an inanimate object like a stuffed dog is forced to think of two sides of play instead of just one. They not only have to come up with actions for themselves but create those of the other party involved.