Transitional Objects in the Emotional Development of Toddlers

EO2 Child Development
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EO2 Child Development
Part 1
Most items children possess or play with are considered transitional objects. They include teddy bears that the child can hug and are meant to provide comfort, love, and security. According to Trienbacher (2016), transitional objectives help toddlers overcome difficult circumstances, including anxiety and stress. Apart from teddy bears, transitional objects can include toys, dolls, and pets that can soothe the baby, ultimately helping them through stressful and anxious moments. Transitional objects are important in the child’s emotional development. As such, early childhood professionals are encouraged to embrace transitional objects. The children rely on transitional objects such as blankets that can help them achieve considerable independence, especially when learning how to execute events and activities, such as falling asleep with minimal or without considerable help. The above explains the positive relationship that toddlers have with transitional objects that can be considered comforters in cases of distress. As such, the decision to change transitional objects solely lies on the child because they are pivotal in the child’s development, including offering the needed comfort and security against various ‘threats.’
An example of a transitional object I have witnessed with my nephew is a toy that resembles the character superman. This toy is arguably influential in his development. In fact, he does not leave the house, go to bed, or eat without the toy around him. He believes it gives him powers to overcome various situations, including the ‘unpleasant’ taste of vegetables. He cannot sleep without the superman toy, arguably because he lacks the power to close his eyes comfortably without the intervention of superman. Clearly, the toy was his comforter. Another notable example includes my sister and her blue teddy bear. She hugs it every night before bed and often falls asleep with the teddy bear in her hands. Just like our nephew, she cannot go to bed without the teddy bear. I have concluded that because she sleeps alone, she needs some reassurance, security, and comfort that hugging the teddy bear grants. Whenever she is playing with her other toys in the house, the teddy bear gets preferential treatment, including the fact that it is bearly tossed carelessly.
My mother insisted that during my first few weeks in daycare, I could not leave the house or stay in the daycare without tantrums if I did not carry the Mutant Ninja Turtles toy. She recalls a day we forgot to pack it in my backpack. She was told I was distant, did not talk or play with anyone, and would cry if the caregiver insisted. They both concluded that the toy was important, and since then, I carried it until I outgrew the need to. The last example involves a distant relevant whose parents revealed that she needed her doll everywhere they went. When they visited, she had it in her hands. You would carry her, and in the process, she would not let go of the doll. They indicated that most of the time, she would talk to the doll-like in a typical conversation, signaling some level of comfort that she did not have, especially around visitors and her parent’s friends.
Based on the above example, it is evident that toddlers embrace transitional objects for their emotional development. Black and Puckett (1992) suggest that children are more likely to seek comfort from their...