In early childhood, we all felt attachment to certain things: a pacifier, a blanket, a bottle, a soft toy. These items soothe babies when they are left alone in the room, helping them to feel safe. They can be touched, sucked, pressed against you, fall asleep side by side.
For this purpose, relatively recently, loving parents came up with comfort. What it is? At what age is it best to give them crumbs? Where to find? Let's talk about it.
Comforter - what is it?
In the 90s of the last century, Susan Canizzo first became a mother. The young Englishwoman wanted the newborn to feel her care around the clock. However, like any woman, she could not constantly hold the crumbs in her arms. Seeing that the baby prefers to play with handkerchiefs and blankets, Susan came up with an original companion.
It was a diaper, to the center of which a toy head was sewn. The invention was called "Comfort Pieces" (from Welsh to fall asleep ). Putting the product on her chest, the woman impregnated it with her own smell, and then put it in the crib. The kid felt his mother's presence, hugging a soft toy, which helped him calm down and fall asleep sweetly.
The idea was liked by many parents. Susan Canizzo was able to create with her help a thriving business. Today in Europe, comfort is considered a must-have. They are bought at once in two copies, so that during the washing of one toy the baby can fall asleep with the other.
Opinions of pediatricians and psychologists
Experts are unanimous in their reviews: comforts help kids cope with fears and stresses. After all, mom for the baby is the embodiment of love, protection. When she departed, albeit not for long, he feels in danger, begins to cry, to be capricious. Comforters for newborns, saturated with a maternal smell, create a feeling of her presence nearby. With them, the kids quickly calm down, feel more confident.
Often knots are made on comforters, they sew materials of different textures. Growing up, children develop fine motor skills, gnaw a toy while teething. For a child older than 1 year, comfort becomes the best friend, with whom it is easier to break the habit of mother's breast. It helps the baby adapt faster in unfamiliar places, in kindergarten. Usually a toy is interesting to children up to 3 years of age. But some kids use comfort as a doll up to 6-8 years old.
Where to find?
In Russia, comfort appeared relatively recently. Nevertheless, they can be found in stores, ordered online. The toy is a soft napkin with the head and legs of an animal: dogs, elephant, cats, owls, etc. The muzzle is usually embroidered with thread, since the infant can tear and swallow any small parts. Often ribbons, pompons, nodules are sewn onto a napkin for the development of tactile sensations of crumbs.
Many beautiful handmade handmade comfort toys are offered by domestic craftswomen. All of them are made of safe and natural materials: cotton, chintz, flannel, fleece, velor, calico, etc. However, you yourself can make a gift to the baby.
How to sew comfort "Bunny"?
For work it is worth stocking up with a soft cloth. Old mother's t-shirts are great, as they already keep her smell. First, a pattern is drawn. We pin it to the fabric with the help of safety pins, circle it with a pencil. Carefully cut out two identical parts. Now they need to be sewn on a sewing machine, leaving a hole in the neck. Through it, the body of the hare is turned on the front side.
You can fill the comfort toy with a synthetic winterizer, you can simply sew up the hole and tie knots, symbolically designating the paws, ears and the head. Do not decorate the product with beads, bows that can be torn off.
Grab the hook
Knitted comforts - what is it? You rarely find them in stores, but needlewomen will offer a ton of options. The basis is a napkin. It can be openwork, color, different shapes, textures. If you know how to knit, then easily find the option that suits you among the schemes. Two-color napkins look beautiful. Take cotton or with a small addition of acrylic. You can also determine the size yourself.
The toy head is attached to the center of the napkin. We will try to knit a comfort bear. For a girl, it can be made of pink threads, for a boy - from blue. Or choose the classic brown option.
We knit the head
First, we collect two air loops and knit 6 SC in a circle. In the next row, increase the number of columns to 12. Then we alternate two RLS from one column with 1 RLS in the third row, with 2 RLS in the fourth row, with 3 RLS in the fifth row, etc. until you get the circle the right size. The number of columns in the last row is divided by 6. We get the number of circles without an increase that need to be knit. Then we begin to reduce the loops in the reverse order. Before you complete the ball, you need to fill it with padding polyester. The base of the head is ready.
For the muzzle and ears, we knit circles according to the same principle, only reducing rows here is not required. The size is determined by eye. Sew the muzzle to the head, a little stuffed with padding polyester. Blanks for ears on the edges are knit with a half-column. The result is two semicircles that are attached to the base. The comfort for the newborn is almost ready. It remains to embroider the bear's face and fix the head in the center of the napkin.
Comforter - what is it? Just a toy, nice to the touch? Or the tangible symbol of parental love that accompanies the baby every minute of his life? Each of us will find the answer to this question. One thing is undeniable: children and their mothers like this cozy item, and therefore the demand for it is growing every year.