A weighted stuffed animal for your child

Perhaps you notice that your child finds it hard to settle after a busy day, or always wants to hold something when things get tense. A weighted stuffed animal can then find a nice place in your day: something soft and heavy to snuggle up to. It is best if your child can discover for themselves whether they like the stuffed animal. A few simple house rules make sure it stays safe too. You will find other groups under who it is for.

When can a weighted stuffed animal help your child?

Parents often use a weighted stuffed animal at set moments. Think of the first half hour after school, story time before bed, or a transition your child finds difficult, such as going from playing to eating. Some children also like to hold something soft and heavy at tense moments, such as waiting at the doctor's.

Children finding comfort in a cuddly toy is nothing new. In a large study of more than 1,100 pairs of three-year-old twins, about one in three children had a regular comfort object. For almost a third of them, it was a soft doll or a teddy bear. A weighted stuffed animal adds a soft, reassuring weight to that.

Research into weighted stuffed animals themselves is still at an early stage. There is one study at the dentist's, with children aged 4 to 14 who were given a 2.3 kg stuffed animal on their lap. It has only been presented as a poster, without a comparison with a stuffed animal without weight. Most of what we know comes from weighted blankets. Autistic children and their parents found the weighted blanket more pleasant, although the measured sleep did not change. In a Swedish study of children with ADHD, the children with a heavy blanket slept a few minutes longer on average. So the fact that your child likes the stuffed animal is already valuable in itself. You can read more about children with autism in weighted stuffed animals and autism.

From what age, and which weight?

A weighted stuffed animal is for children aged 3 and over. It is not suitable for babies and toddlers: stuffed animals with a bead filling are not intended for children under 36 months. You can read why in from what age is a weighted stuffed animal suitable.

There is no fixed formula for the right weight, and there does not need to be. Choose the lightest weight that your child still finds pleasant. Your child must be able to lift the stuffed animal easily and push it away themselves. Also keep in mind that the same stuffed animal is much heavier for a small child than for a big child. For a child of 20 kg, a stuffed animal of 1 to 2 kg is already 5 to 10 per cent of their own body weight. You will find starting points for each age in what weight suits your child.

Which house rules keep it safe?

With a few simple house rules, your child can use the stuffed animal safely and in a relaxed way. Stay nearby while your child uses the stuffed animal. Never put it on your child's face, head or neck. Never use it as a punishment or to make your child sit still, and do not wrap your child in it. Check the seams regularly. If the stuffed animal is damaged or filling is coming out, stop using it. You will find all the rules in one place in are weighted stuffed animals safe?.

How do you introduce your child to the stuffed animal?

Start in a playful way, and it naturally becomes something fun. Let your child look at, feel and lift the stuffed animal first. If your child can choose, for example which animal or which colour, the stuffed animal will feel like their own more quickly.

Then try it on their lap for a few minutes, at a calm moment. Reading together on the sofa is a nice start for many children. Let your child decide when the stuffed animal can go away again. There is no fixed length of time that works best, so start short and see how your child responds.

Never push it. A child must agree to it, even if they cannot say so in words. This was already part of Canadian recommendations for weighted blankets from 2008, and it applies just as much to a stuffed animal. That way the stuffed animal stays something your child chooses for themselves.

How can you tell that your child does not like it?

Every child is different. One child loves the weight, another does not. Some children are sensitive to touch and actually find pressure on their body unpleasant. So watch closely what your child shows you. If you see them relax or reach for the stuffed animal themselves, all is well. Do they push the stuffed animal away, turn away, become restless or start crying? Then that is enough for now. Also watch for physical signals. British care organisations mention, among other things, difficulty breathing, nausea, sweating or getting too warm, and signs of anxiety. If you notice any of these, take the stuffed animal away at once.

How do you coordinate with school or childcare?

Would you like your child to use the stuffed animal at school too? Then talk to the teacher about it. Agree together when the stuffed animal will be used and who keeps an eye on it. The person at school who coordinates extra support is often a good point of contact as well. You can read how a teacher can approach this in a weighted stuffed animal in the classroom.

At childcare, the same rules apply as at home: the stuffed animal does not go along for the afternoon nap. Not sure whether a weighted stuffed animal suits your child, for example because of breathing problems or low muscle strength? Then ask your GP, your child's doctor or an occupational therapist for advice first. You can also turn to the school support team.