Stuff if crib

[dsavcom]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if it's ok to have stuff in our ds's crib.  He has an aquarium (the kind that makes music, music and lights, or music, lights and bubbles), a mirror with dangle toys, and stuffed animals.  We turn the aquarium on at nap time with the music/lights setting.

Anyway...is this too much stuff in his crib?  I don't want him to feel alone/bored in there, but I know he shouldn't be stimulated either.  How do I find the balance?

Thanks,
d

[mum101]

Hi,

How old is your son?  I had an aquarium too for DD, it was so sweet to see her staring at it while settling for sleeps.  If he's still young I wouldn't have soft toys in his crib, in case he rolls onto them and can't get himself off.  I think I would wait until he was 1 before putting soft toys in his crib.  He needs the mobility and strength to get rid of anything stuck on top of his face or to be able to roll off a toy. 

Also check that the aquarium and the mirror with dangle toys doesn't have strings or cords that he could get caught up in. 

In terms of feeling alone, i think just the aquarium would be fine. I don't think it's too much stimulation if it's just one toy to focus on, and if it makes nice soothing sounds it's enough to help them calm if unsettled.

[Layla]

Honestly, I never had anything in the cot with Isabella. I found it stimulated her too much and she wouln't go to sleep at all (or take a very long time to). I've always been too scared to put toys in case she'd suffocate and we even had to take her blanket away cause I found her underneath it a few times .... so basically she sleeps on a matress and thats all (but seriously thinking of giving her a pillow soon). She has a lovey thou which she hugs up to... and falls asleep. Just before she was born we decorated the room with Disney characters stuck on the wall & even had to take them off as all she would do is stare at them and wanna play  .

Jasmine only has a blanket (which she uses as a lovey) in her cot as well.

I think just chose one thing that will calm him and that should be enough.

HTH
Layla

[dsavcom]

Thanks for your thoughts.  He's 6mos.  We're in the process of teaching him to fall asleep on his own (we didn't start out as we meant to go on)...will he feel like it's too much change if I take the stuffies out?  There's no strings for him to get caught in..

Thanks,
d

[Layla]

Does he have a fav one? You can certainly keep one stuffie there and if anything, he might adopt it as a lovie. At 6 months thou I would not have been able to have anything with lights or music, etc... too much stimulation for my lo. She would be wanting to play instead of sleep. Don't worry about getting off on the wrong track. There is no right or wrong with parenting. I had dd1 sleep trained by 10 weeks and #2 didn't even start until she was 4-5 months old.

[Erin M]

DD1 and now DD2 have that type of aquarium in their cribs and they've always slept beautifully with it, in fact dd1 used to use it when she woke in the middle of the night to get back to sleep (used to love hearing it on the monitor) -- I think at that age though she just had one "friend" in the crib (her lovey) and nothing else -- now at almost 2, she's got about 16 stuffed animals, a handful of books, and who knows what else in there every night -- but I let her decide what goes in there. 

[Layla]

Erin - that is so cute, sleeping with stuffed animals, books and other things! About 2 months ago, I gave mine a stuffed animal to sleep with and she ended up "talking" with it till like 10pm. At 9 I went in to take ut away and she started crying, so I left her...she eventually fell asleep but I didn't try that again  .

[mum101]

in fact dd1 used to use it when she woke in the middle of the night to get back to sleep (used to love hearing it on the monitor) -- 

Erin - I loved that too!  I still have such a strong memory of Hubby and I peeking around her door to see her first press the on-button!
After a while though when we lowered her cot, the aquarium had to sit level with the mattress.  As she started to move around more while sleeping she used to turn it on all night long!  So had to give it up at about 9-10 months.  I still miss it though!

[JennŠ]

Erin, Charlotte still turns hers on some nights if she wakes up.  Otherwise she talks to 'Phant for a bit and drifts off again.  Either is soo cute on the monitor!

[Layla]

Sounds like my babies are the only ones that have nothing in the cot  .

[Erin M]

I think you do whatever works, and don't worry about it