How many people do you know who still have their baby blanket? Do you?
We love the thought of a baby blanket sticking with someone beyond the toddler years. We want your gift to last a lifetime! Here are some tips for helping encourage your child to bond with their Minky baby blanket.
How to Help a Baby Attach to Their Blanket
Babies and toddlers seek security in an uncertain world; in fact, don’t we all?! Before you even have your new baby, there are ways to help “break-in” the Minky baby blanket and get it ready for them.
Wash your Minky Mamas blanket – Of course, we recommend washing your Minky baby blanket before any use. We have an article on washing and caring for your Minky Mamas blanket here.
Sleep with the Minky baby blanket – After your Minky blanket has been washed and dried, sleep with it for a few nights. Doing so can get your scent on the blanket, making it familiar to your upcoming arrival. It’s best to do this just prior to your baby’s birth so none of the comforting smells wear off too much.
Consider getting more than one – Think of how disappointed you are when your favorite article of clothing is in the wash. Now multiply that tenfold and imagine how your child feels when their favorite blanket is being cleaned. It may be helpful to have more than one Minky baby blanket so you can always have one at the ready for your baby.
As a side note, if you have any pets at home, you can use a baby blanket to help them get used to their new human sibling. Whether you use your cozy new Minky baby blanket or a backup, get the baby’s scent all over it and send it home to your pets with someone. This will give the pets a chance to familiarize themselves with the baby.
Encouraging Minky Baby Blanket Use
When you have your new baby home, how do you continue to help them bond with their blanket? Luckily for you, our Minky blanket fabric is so soft no one will want to put it down! However, we do have some actual suggestions for making your Minky baby blanket a dependable blanket.
Continue to get your scent on the Minky baby blanket – You can either occasionally sleep with your baby’s Minky blanket, or tuck it into your shirt throughout the day when your baby doesn’t need it. This will help keep your scent on the blanket so that it is a comfort to your child. Other caregivers can do the same with the blanket so there’s a sense of familiarity.
Use the blanket during feedings – When the baby is being held for feedings, tuck the blanket between yourself and the baby. This way your baby can learn to associate the plush, Minky blanket fabric with you and with food. Two things babies love the most are their caregivers and their food!
Make the Minky baby blanket a part of your day-to-day – If you can, incorporate the baby blanket into games or daily play. Use it for peekaboo, cuddle it when you look at books together, and tuck it around your baby on car rides. Get your little one used to the scent and feel of their Minky Mamas blanket.
Use during naps and bedtime – If you prefer not to have the blanket used during the day, and want to associate it with bedtime comfort, that’s great! You can still create a bond between your child and their Minky baby blanket even if it’s only used for sleeping. It can actually be a wonderful way to establish a routine and have certain items signal that it’s time to sleep.
How to Care for a Minky Blanket
If you want your Minky baby blanket to withstand the test of time and become a lifelong blanket, be sure to follow proper instructions for cleaning. We linked above our article for washing and drying, but we want to reiterate that our blankets are handmade by expert sewers and are intended to be snuggled for years.
Thankfully, all our Minky baby blankets are machine washable, and they can be machine dried. As we mentioned before, it may be helpful to have more than one Minky baby blanket for your child so you can line dry, which is optimal for increasing the lifespan of your blanket.
