How to get LO UNattached to my hair?

[bw52]

It's her major comfort item and she runs her fingers through it any time she's tired/upset, etc. And if I take it away from her she screams and fidgets and just can't go to sleep. I wish I had never let her get so attached to it in the beginning, but I didn't know! Now she's 15 months and I need this to stop. She's yanking it out and I can't hang my head over the side of the crib any longer!

Suggestions? I've tried getting her attached to a little bear blankie thing we have. She likes it, but wants nothing to do with it (or anything, but my hair) when she's going to sleep. I've tried putting my hair in a bun on the top of my hair for a week so she couldn't get to it, but she still manages to find stray pieces and if she can't she gets so upset and throws a fit! I need suggestions, please!

TIA!

[BabbyO]

No suggestions, but it's good to know my LO isn't the only one who finds major comfort in hair (anyone's). He always strokes people's hair for comfort, but hasn't gotten upset if I take it away.

Perhaps there is a doll with human-like hair that would be safe? Sorry, no other ideas.

Best of luck, though!

[MolieMuts]

No advice here, but DS1 did the same thing. As a matter of fact, he still does a little if I lay with him. He started outgrowing it around age 4 or 5.

[longtallsally05]

Perhaps you could substitute a satin blanket? My kids are really into texture and they both love their security blankets that are satin on one side, minky dimple dot on the other. I think a stuffed animal won't cut it if your child likes to stroke something silky. HTH!

[MacMacMoo]

We have the same problem. Except DS is now two. He came by it honestly. he use to love on my locket which i was fine with, but then my hair would sometime get tangled into the chain, and then he migrated to my hair instead of the locket.

I'm not strict enough to follow through with my goals. But the best method the showed results was let her play with you hair while still awake, but the moment she's out take it from her. She'll probably wake up and cry. Clam her down and offer her the hair, but take it away once she's asleep. If she wont calm down take her out of the room and distract her and then try going to bed again.

wig didn't work. doll didn't work. stuff animal didn't work. blanket didn't work.

Best of luck!

[niccig]

I couldn't, so I ended up cutting some of my hair and having the lady from lovey babies make a doll with the hair. Very freaky and weird, but I was oh so desperate. DS was 9 months old and wouldn't sleep without holding my hair, he had to hold 24/7.

Her site is down, so I don't know if she makes the dolls anymore, but I've had to take one apart to add more hair - Yes, even more crazy. I can tell you how to make one if you're as desperate as I was.

Ok, here's a photo of our doll. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/niccig03/103_0376.jpg
If you want to go this route, I can help. I also advise you to keep the doll at home so a) you don't lose it (we had 2 dolls and one was left at LAX), and b) avoid weird looks. People either think it is the freakest thing ever or they think I'm fabulous for cutting my own hair to comfort my child. I was desperate as DS would hold my hair 24/7 and scream if he didn't have my hair.

[lhafer]

I couldn't, so I ended up cutting some of my hair and having the lady from lovey babies make a doll with the hair. Very freaky and weird, but I was oh so desperate. DS was 9 months old and wouldn't sleep without holding my hair, he had to hold 24/7.

Her site is down, so I don't know if she makes the dolls anymore, but I've had to take one apart to add more hair - Yes, even more crazy. I can tell you how to make one if you're as desperate as I was.

Ok, here's a photo of our doll. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/niccig03/103_0376.jpg
If you want to go this route, I can help. I also advise you to keep the doll at home so a) you don't lose it (we had 2 dolls and one was left at LAX), and b) avoid weird looks. People either think it is the freakest thing ever or they think I'm fabulous for cutting my own hair to comfort my child. I was desperate as DS would hold my hair 24/7 and scream if he didn't have my hair.

I have to say this is the most freaky, ingenious thing I have seen in a long long time!! :thumbsup: How did she get the hair to stay put? Glue?

[niccig]

I have to say this is the most freaky, ingenious thing I have seen in a long long time!! :thumbsup: How did she get the hair to stay put? Glue?

Yes, it is freaky, but it worked. And you do what you have to do to get some sleep.

You put a chunk of your hair into a pony-tail and then cut it about an 1" beyond the elastic, so the elastic keeps all the strands together. You cut a square of interfacing and use fabric glue to glue that extra 1" of hair to the interfacing. I worked in sections as you have to get the fabric glue to stick every strand to the next strand. Once all the strands are glued down, you can glue another square of interfacing on the top layer of hair. I let that dry for a day or so, then I trim the square to a smaller size, and glue another piece of interfacing all around it, so there are no cut sides where you can see the hair - this last step, is more a precaution.

You make the doll and stuff with stuffing, leaving the top part of the head open. You tuck the interfacing square into the top of the head and then push the stuffing around it, so you can't feel it through the head. I then hand stitched the top closed. Our original doll was sewn with a sewing machine as I think she stitched the hair in with the doll inside out and then stuffed the doll. I haven't made a doll from scratch, I've just had to add extra hair as DS worries the hair like worry beads and it snaps off - I had a bald doll and then give it a hair transplant :rotflmao: I had cut my hair shorter and kept the long ponytail in case - except this time there was gray hair in there and DS asked if his doll's hair could be dyed :hysterical:

We had a back-up doll that was made with wig hair, and it didn't work for DS. He was only 9 months old but knew immediately and would only use it if the original could not be found. Only my hair worked. Then DS went and lost the original at LAX this past June. He's 5 yo and I thought we could deal with this, but he wasn't and with start K etc, I decided to cut a chunk of my hair and replace the wig hair on the back-up. A friend is a therapist and she told me it was the right thing to do, as at DS's age losing his lovey of 5 years would be very traumatic. DH said that after me, it's the lovey and then DH in DS's order of love. I figured it's only hair and it'll grow back and you can't tell I cut it at all. BUT, the lovey has to stay in the house. I'm not doing this again, so it is no longer allowed out of the house, and when we go on vacation, I'll have the lovey in MY bag and not in DS's carry-on.

[Raidra]

My aunt had this issue with her son, he loved playing with her hair as he fell asleep. The only substitute that worked for her was one of those tassle things you see on curtain tiebacks.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I tell you, ANY problem can be solved here on the BBB. Truly ingenious, nicci!

[niccig]

I tell you, ANY problem can be solved here on the BBB. Truly ingenious, nicci!

It wasn't me. I posted HERE five years ago asking for advice, just like the OP, and someone directed me to the lady at loveybabies.com Her site isn't up, I don't know if she's still making them or not.

So, yes, ANY problem can be solved on the BBB :thumbsup:

[niccig]

My aunt had this issue with her son, he loved playing with her hair as he fell asleep. The only substitute that worked for her was one of those tassle things you see on curtain tiebacks.

Now this I did not try. Maybe the OP should try this before she goes and cuts her hair like I did. It could work.

[edurnemk]

I tell you, ANY problem can be solved here on the BBB. Truly ingenious, nicci!

:yeahthat: My son is super attached to my hair and he's 2.7 yo. I have not been able to find a substitute, but at least he can fall asleep without it now. My mom used to joke about buying a wig that looked like my hair and attaching it to his crib. And when the IL's made snide comments about me needing a haircut because my hair was too long (halfway down my back, not like it was down to my knees) I'd respond that I needed to grow it super long so I could move around and get things done while DS holds it and not have to bend my neck so he can reach it. ;)

[jgenie]

My brother used hair to soothe himself to sleep when he was little. When we got tired of him snuggling up to us just to pull our hair we would hand him a hairbrush and he would wrap his fingers around the hair in the brush. Gross but it worked and kept him from pulling our hair.