When and What Age Do You Give You Todler a Pillow

Updated on January 08, 2011
S.G. asks from Gilroy, CA
21 answers

My son is 16 months old and I wanted some advice on the pillow thing. He has slept with a pillow in the past but it seems to big for his crib. It's one of our old pillows. Just wanted to hear from other mothers.
Thanks

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.P.

answers from Cleveland on

audrey has had a pillow with her probably since she was a yr old. She rolled around and just liked having it she has a pillow pet she sleeps with every night. she has had a blanket in her bed since she was born (SHAME SHAME ON ME) but it was cold and i wasnt going to let her freeze

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Phoenix on

My ds has used a pillow since he was about a year old (had GERD) to help raise him up. He loves it and wont sleep with out one. I jsut use a regular standard pillow, firm though so its not too fluffy. It fit in his crib ok and now his crib converted to toddler bed and it fits.

I do know they make toddler pillows though that should be a little smaller if you feel a standard one is to bulky.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

L.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

They do make toddler pillows that are smaller and not as fluffy.

Personally, I wouldn't give a toddler an old pillow, as they are notorious for being polluted with dust mites and allergens, etc. I say this because I have a little boy with lots of allergies. I know, pillows can be washed, but still. I'd get him his own toddler pillow if you feel that he's more comfortable with a pillow. :)

Just read the previous post, and although I didn't mention it, Ikea is where we got our toddler pillow, too. They are in the infant/crib/gear area... It really is the perfect size for a little one, not too big, and not too fluffy. Just right, like the little bear's... lol

2 moms found this helpful

C.H.

answers from Denver on

Same here gave our 15mo old a toddler pillow (IKEA) and she does great with it. We just wash the cover once a week with her sheets & blankets. Also sun her pillow about 1-2 times a month.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.L.

answers from Austin on

I believe my daughter was 16 months when I started letting her sleep with a pillow-I had actually made her one while I was pregnant and kept it in the glider I rocked her in and when I finally let her sleep with it she became quite attached to it. She loves her little pillow :)

1 mom found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Dallas on

Our youngest has always been partial to sleeping with pillows due to we put her on a baby boppy round pillow to sleep on when we got home from the hospital. If she slept in the bed with us, we'd put her on a sturdy pillow within the baby infant bed sleeper. Every now and then she will sleep without the pillow. If you want to talk about age of true awareness of having a pillow 13 months and yes she does have a pillow in her crib too. Our oldest didn't become pillow loving until almost 2 yrs old; she's now 16 and sleeps with 4 pillows.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I made a small pillow for my son when he was born. We started using it around 12 months or so for naps. He had severe reflux issues so he has always had to be somewhat upright. I would buy your little one a small pillow instead of reg. size. It will be safer and easier to fit in the crib. GL!

M

1 mom found this helpful

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

We also did the toddler pillow from IKEA at 18mos. But quickly moved him to a regular - just flatter - pillow a couple of months later, once he got the hang of it.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.G.

answers from Jackson on

Must be bad mother but she is 8 months old and so congested gave her a hardish pillow to prop up on!lol

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.S.

answers from Chicago on

I gave my son a pillow at about 15 months. But it was an ikea pillow from their infant bedding section. The pillow is say 8x14 inches and not very plush. So I found it the perfect starter pillow.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.N.

answers from San Francisco on

When we moved our son from crib to toddler bed (convertible crib, just removed the front bars) we gave him one of our pillows. But like you think, we thought it was too big for the bed. so at One step Ahead we found this kids hypoallergenic pillow for $12.95
( http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId... ) So we got this child size pillow, and got a couple of covers to go with it. It's perfect for him, small enough to the proportion of the bed, and he loves it.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

my 16mnth old uses his stuffed winnie the pooh bear as a pillow lol

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Evansville on

We didn't give our son a pillow at night until he moved from a crib into his toddler bed (around 27 months old). He has used a little football pillow at daycare for naps since he was about 18months old.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.U.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter liked lounging in the Boppy when she was a baby until she could sit up on her own - she would nap in it on the sofa but it was not in her crib. She started using a regular pillow in her crib for sleeping when she was not quite 2 - she kept seeing pictures in her books of kids sleeping in beds with pillows and decided she needed one too.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.P.

answers from Albuquerque on

When my girl was about a year old, she realized that mom & dad had pillows so she wanted one, too! We gave her an old one that was in good shape, but fairly flat and put a cute pillowcase on it (so she'd know it was hers). She now sleeps with that plus her "pillow pet" that she got for Christmas. We've never had problems, but I did keep a very close eye on her for the first couple of months.

She also co-slept with us for a while, and pillows were how we kept her "contained" on the bed.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.K.

answers from Kansas City on

I gave a pillow to my boys when the crib front came off and we turned it into a toddler bed. For us it was 15 months and almost two years.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.L.

answers from San Francisco on

We try to give out 20 month old a pillow. She refuses to have it on her bed a won't sleep with one. Go figure.

A.G.

answers from Houston on

from birth, first it was basically a moveable bed, then a pillow, later on im sure she will hug it.

The story of my pillows is cute actually.i had a down pillow with a silk zebra print pillowcase that i sewed myself when i moved in with my husband (then boyfriend). He was so jealous of it i made him one for xmas. Then when we had our first girl we gave them to her, then split them up when we had our second daughter.

my husband still steals these pillows from time to time

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

My doctor has us use a pillow on and off with her since a few months old. She's always had congestion on and off, and when she would get congested thats when I would slip a pillow under the sheet to elevate her a bit. At 1, she just used one all the time, because thats when she started in her big girl bed. I am not sure where she found it, but my MIL gave me a small crib sized pillow a long time ago. Maybe walmart?

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Boston on

my 19 month old got a pillow pet for Christmas because her sister has one and she loves it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.R.

answers from Sacramento on

I don't consider this an 'age' issue, but an issue of the individual child's stage of development. Once your child is able to roll over and get himself out of a situation (such as the pillow accidentally got over his face) than it should be OK. We've had situations where a younger child who was not ready for a pillow needed to have the head elevated due to breathing difficulties. In those cases we either put pillows under the crib mattress to elevate the head end, or put a smaller pillow under the sheet, making sure the sheet was going to stay in place..

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions