How to Blanket Train a Baby

Teaching a baby how to sit still on a blanket enables the child to learn the importance of boundaries at an early age. Wouldn’t it be nice if your baby would sit quietly and play or take a nap on blanket during church services or while your at a friends home? You will be able to sit down and enjoy your conversation or listen to the sermon without chasing your baby down the hall. Children are moldable, and they will learn how to follow directions and behave themselves at an early age if you are consistent with your teaching. This article will outline the steps you need to take in order to blanket train your child.

Things You'll Need

• Blanket
• Soft quiet toys

Instructions

1. Choose a durable and comfortable blanket. Its best to use the same blanket for training at least until your child is older. Your child will know that its time to stay put when they see you take that particular blanket out at a friend’s home or at church.

2. Gather special toys. Keep a goodie bag full of special soft quiet toys that your child likes. Some babies love to look at chunky cardboard picture books, especially as they grow into the toddler stage. These toys should be put away and only used when the blanket is taken out.

3. Begin training as early as possible. As soon as your child is alert enough to start checking out his surroundings, you can begin putting your baby on the blanket. Your baby should spend plenty of time on the blanket, but be sure to always be balanced, especially as your baby gets older. A baby should never spend all day on a blanket. Your little one should get plenty of other stimulation from taking walks and being held. Your child should also be allowed to explore to a certain extent, with supervision.

4. Designate a specific time for training each day. Put your baby on the blanket each day with quiet toys. You can also encourage your baby to take a nap, helping her to relax by patting her back or singing to her.

5. Continue putting your baby back on the blanket. Your child will try to move off the blanket as soon as he is able to roll or crawl. Your child will most likely cry or protest. Every time your baby gets off the blanket put him back on the blanket and say "no." You will need to do this several times before your child will understand boundaries.

Tips & Warnings

• Blanket training is a process that may take time with some children, depending on the child’s personality and temperament in addition to how early you start training.

• Be consistent. My mother always told me that you only get results with consistency. Blanket training is only effective when it’s done on a daily basis. Work with your child and have fun. Don’t stress yourself out or put unreasonable demands on your baby. It won’t happen over night so patience is essential. You can start training your child to sit still on a blanket at any age, but the earlier you start the better. It is more difficult to train a year-old child for the first time than a baby who is just a few months old.

• If your sole purpose for blanket training is specifically for teaching your child to sit still during church services, you should blanket train during the time that services would normally start and continue with the process for the average length of the sermon. Set up chairs next to the blanket and sit close to your baby while playing a sermon CD at your home. Create an atmosphere just like church.