So it made me wonder about "tuto", which actually has an official name in the clinical studies - “Transitional Object” - it can be a towel, a blanket, a bottle, or a stuffed animal as long as it is soft and provides comfort. Is it bad for a kid’s emotional health to be so attached to a security object? Is it a sign of unhealthy insecurity?
The answers are pretty clear all over the internet and my bible (the "What to Expect" series):
Between the ages of 6 months and 1 year, babies begin to enjoy the freedom that their increasing mobility brings. At the same time, they start to experience separation anxiety over this newfound independence, so they begin to crave comfort. Babies in this age range are also beginning to realize that they are individuals separate from their parents. In an effort to ease these anxieties, many children try to bridge the gap by latching on to transitional items -- "comfort objects" or "loveys," such as stuffed animals or blankets. This love affair often lasts through toddlerhood.
Not only are these objects a sign of healthy development, but they serve a valuable purpose. Comfort items are helpful in any situation where a child feels anxiety or stress. When your child is separated from you -- at day care, or for that first sleepover at Grandma's, for example -- it allows him to take along a little piece of home that reminds him of Mommy or Daddy.
- excerpts from “Parents.com – Baby’s Transitional Objects”
So the transitional object is actually sign of autonomy for babies. I suppose my ninja is ought to have a “tuto” in the near future (when he decides to stop using mami's teta as comfort) – which one will he choose? His favorite froggy, Napo, or just a blanket like what Linus has? We’ll see!
(a typical "tuto")
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