You learn new things all the time.
After 8 children and 13 years of assuming that receiving blankets were just for newbons, I’ve gradually come to realize just how useful those flimsy little blankets can be.
They fold up very small and they are cute and cheap. I now try to keep 2 of them always with me – one in the carseat w/the baby, and a spare in the diaper bag.
Some uses:
- Toss it over the carseat when you leave it in the car on a hot day, or over your own seat to keep it from getting too hot.
- Use it as a king-size burp rag when your toddler gets carsick 40 minutes into a 90 minute drive.
- Use your extra blanket to cover the toddler until you get to your destination, because you don’t want to put a fresh change of clothes on her until she’s been cleaned up more thoroughly.
- We encourage our babies to sleep in their carseats from the start – it’s like a portable bedroom. Put up the canopy if your infant seat has one, drape a receiving blanket over the front, and no matter where you are, your baby always has the bed he/she is used to.
- It’s great for a nursing cover-up. Just toss over one shoulder and drape it down across the baby as you nurse. If you use it from the start, your baby will appreciate the privacy rather than fighting the blanket. Our babies sometimes cover their eyes with their own hands if I don’t use a blanket. It’s also fun to see them gaze up at you with loving eyes while they nurse, so I’m not suggesting you use it all the time.
- This one takes training too, but I’ve done it a bit and have known moms who swear by it: use your receiving blanket as a “playpen.” From the time baby becomes mobile, train him/her to stay on the blanket. This becomes an excellent tool for keeping the baby out of trouble, and you can easily move it from room to room or take to other people’s homes. Baby can see you and play freely, with well-defined boundaries. I don’t really like playpens in general (except for sleeping), but I think that used properly a blanket can be a wonderful tool to begin teaching self-control, obedience, boundaries, etc.
- It’s a convenient changing pad.
- Many are one-sided, so you can use it to lay the baby on the floor and always know that you have the same side down.
I’m sure many of you can add to the list. What do you do with your receiving blankets?
Related posts:
I love receiving blankets as nursing covers too! If you put a diaper pin in one corner, then when you need it as a nursing cover-up, pin 2 corners together and slip it over your head, and it won’t get kicked off or blown off. The diaper pin can stay on in the laundry, when it’s folded up in the diaper bag, etc. I usually just lurk but couldn’t resist leaving this, one of my very favorite mommy hints. Jennifer
My babies are a bit older (ages 7 years and 11 years). If we have a “treat night” with movie and chips/popcorn, the blankets make nice little living room floor placemats (or a lap mat depending on how messy the child is
).
You can also set them over a foot stool for a quick little personal table (for drinks or snack on “treat night”)
Just how do you go about “training” a baby to stay on a blanket as a lesson in obedience?
They’re great for older kids too…my sisters and I loved to pretend like we had “broken arms”…my mom would tie one on lie a sling for us. LOL
They work great for cloth diapers. You can sew a couple of seams, or just use them as they are and fold to fit. I’ve not done this, but I have several friends who use this method only.
)
Love your blog.
Cindy
P.S. Could you ask your husband when our VF package will arrive.:-)Maybe you could just drop it by sometime this week, our family would love to meet you and yours – we’re not far off…..just KY.
Yes, I have used receiving blankets for almost all of the uses you have listed and in a pinch for a cloth diaper when we were out and had a major gastrointestinal issue and ran out of the cloth dipes I had packed. I have an ‘emergency kit’ in the back of both of our vehicles for necessary childhood situations: diapering, sick tummy (either end results), and just plain messes. And in this kit are two older receiving blankets. I found a whole bunch of them one day at a closeout store where we used to live for 1o cents each. I bought a bunch of them for various purposes, but I think my girls play with them with their dolls mostly.
Yes, please elaborate on the playpen idea!!!! I may be past the point where that would work (my daughter is crawling and almost walking) but it would be useful for future kids!
now, how do i teach my baby to stay on a blanket to play? I haven’t figured that out…or even to sleep if that’s all I have.
Email kiliblog@cox.net
Thanks!
Kim, Just wanted to say – I don’t know if you noticed or not, but this post is on your blog twice. Also, I don’t know if I let you know and invited you to my blog yet. Its soundsofsanders.blogspot.com. Great info by the way!
Also, wanted to say about the post on how much children cost – it was helpful! My husband’s big concern is the birthing cost though:) I was joking the other day that maybe we would have twins and he said “oh that would be great! then we can really afford more kids!” I was laughing so hard (and am now praying for twins!).
Thanks again for all the advice you have! Its great for those of us who haven’t had kids yet and whose moms live too far away to call all the time. Even though I am the oldest daughter of 11, there are always better and new ways to do things.
Christa
Christa,
Thanks for the heads-up on my double post. I’ve fixed it now; can you tell I don’t often read my own blog?
Yes, I saw your blog – what an interesting life you must lead!
And I love the pic of your whole family. We have never had a picture with all of my siblings at once! One sister lives in Tennessee and two brothers work staggered 2 week shifts on oil rigs, so it’s getting harder all the time to get everyone together.
I’ve used receiving blankets for most of those purposes too (luckily, we haven’t had to deal with the throwing up in the car scenario yet). We also use them as sunshades on longer drives. Just poke the very edge out the window, roll it up, and voila! Of course, you’ll want to be sure you use one you don’t mind getting dirty/frayed.
My kids use “blankies” for super hero capes to help them fly around the house!
One of my baby’s blankets has now been a cuddly ‘receiving’ blanket to 3 different kittens. They love the smell of their humans and the softness as well.
I can’t think of a better use after the babies have grown.
My daughter loves her blankie. She’s now nine years old and still sleeps with it. Now, I’m in the market for a new blankie that my sisters new arrival will love. She had a boy, and I found the perfect little Camo Travel Blanket with Black Trim by Patricia Ann Designs.
I even bought the coordinating Burp Cloth Set and Changing Mat! I found these at sandboxcouture.com See for yourself!
FOrgive me if this double posts – Blogger is not being nice to commenters this morning…
I’m a little late to comment on this post, but I wanted to mention that my son received a horrible gash to his head yesterday in a public park. Another mom there handed me a receiving blanket to apply pressure to his wound and it was perfect – soft, VERY absorbent, and big enough to contain most of the blood.