Blankets and Pillows

Dear S.,

When my daughter was very young, I got one of the foam wedge pillows from a bedding store. I thought it was too big, so I cut it in half (if you have an electric carving knife, it is very easy. But it can be accomplished without one). I put the incline part under the mattress pad so it wouldn't shift around. She had a bad cold and needed to be elevated a bit to help with breathing and possible night-time vomiting (everytime she got a cold she would throw-up. I'm glad she's over that!). I got the wedge so I wouldn't worry about pillows.

She is now 4 1/2 and has been sleeping in her big girl bed for a year and a half. I can't believe it's been that long! She went right into her big girl bed because she helped her dad put it together. I got another wedge pillow, which I cut down a bit. Again I put it under the mattress cover. I don't have to worry about pillows falling out of the bed or my daughter getting tangled up in them or losing her lovies under the pillow. She can sleep on a pillow just fine, she is just used to her wedge.

It sounds like your son wants his head elevated a bit. Try a wedge pillow under the mattress cover. Then he'll be more comfortable and you won't worry.

I would say he is old enough to have a small, not too fluffy pillow. If you are not comfortable with it, there are wedges that go under the crib mattress to prop up one end somewhat. His head would be elevated as if it was on a pillow but you wouldn't have to worry about the pillow itself.

Just a thought!

Hi my name is A. S. My son is 16 months old and he absolutely loves pillows. I was also scared to use them but decided to put one of the small ones in his crib. He loves it. I asked his doctor today and she said as long as he can roll over and sit up on his own there is no problem. He is old enough. I think it would be OK. We got a travel pillow for David. A cotton filled one not the microbead ones. They form to well to the face and I'm scared of suffocation. Hope this helps.

Hi S.,

My son is 2 1/2 and we bought him his first pillow just about a year ago. You can get small pillows that are a bit flatter than "adult" pillows - his is a Spongebob Squarepants pillow that I think we found at Target. He always used to ball up his blankets for the same purpose so we figured it was time, and he has done just fine.

I have three children and my youngest is 16 months old. She has been sleeping with a receiving blanket since she could sit up on her own. At night she balls that up and sleeps on it and then I cover her after she is asleep with a thicker blanket for warmth. I am a single mom most of the time.

I think that is just fine. My daughter is exactly one month younger than your son and she has had a blanket for a while. As long as he can move around and take it off himself that should be fine. WIth the cold weather, I agree that these kiddos seem to need more than footed pjs. For a few nights, you could check on him before you go to sleeep at night and lay it on him, but my guess is he is plenty happy and safe. My daughter has a very small pillow but that is more courtesy of her 4-year-old sister and a really bad cold awhile back. I was super conservative with my first but I know she had a blanket by this age, too. If he doesn't need a pillow, I'd leave it out for now, but it's up to you. My kids seem to scoot off of them most nights anyway... Sorry to hear you're recently single - let me know if you have any other questions or want to just talk sometime!

L.
(Newport News)

my daughter got a small kid pillow for her first bithday and now at almost 8 she still prefers the small ones. she never had any problem with the pillow or the blankets.