It’s no surprise that children adore their cuddly companions. What’s not to love, after all? However, if you look a little deeper, you’ll discover that these imaginary friends are more important in child progress than you might think.
They provide a sense of relief.
The most important purpose of stuffed animals is to relieve stress and anxiety. (Any parent who has witnessed their child’s tears turn to chuckles at the glimpse of their favourite stuffed animal understands this.) For infants, the world can be an uncertain and frightening place. Stuffed toys, which represent familiarity and a sense of security, can make them feel better with these emotions.
This is also essential for gradually developing your baby’s capacity to help calm himself or herself without the assistance of mum or dad. Big life happenings, such as the arrival of a sibling, can feel less intimidating when your child is accompanied by a favourite stuffed animal. Cuddling a stuffed animal, according to North Dakota State University researchers, tends to help toddlers rely on their own ability to obtain calmness. How effective are stuffed animals in providing comfort? According to one study, they can help children who have been exposed to violence and war.
They assist to form some social skills.
If you see an infant squeezing their favourite stuffed animal, it may not appear to be play. Nevertheless, the reality is that these kinds of toys aid in the development of crucial interpersonal skills. According to experts, the perfect age to begin using toys like stuffed animals to inspire imaginative play is between the ages of 12 and 18 months. This frequently includes imitating familiar, regular life that are part of their daily routines. Pretending to eat or drink from a jug, for instance, is an approachable process that allows the child to play babysitter while using their creativeness.
Enabling young children to engage in imaginative play with other children is also critical for social development. This could range from brother and sister role-playing with stuffed animals to your child interacting with a daycare playmate using their favourite plush toy. The idea is that the connection improves social abilities.
They encourage the development of language.
Imaginative play is also an effective way to improve speech and language skills. It is critical to develop these emerging interacting skills, so just let them play with their favourite plush toys. Talking is a particularly important factor when you assist your child in acting out playful role-playing scenarios. Consider this: What promotes the finest usage language? Do you prefer playing with blocks or communicating with dolls? Another advantage? According to experts, storytelling by attempting to make plush toys “speak” to each other is an effective way to set the foundation for reading and writing.
To achieve the same result with babies, simply replay the scene slightly. If your baby is babbling, for instance, make their soft toys “talk” back between them during slow periods in the blabbering. This encourages communicative turn-taking.