My son is 20 months old and I noticed that he's been sleeping with his head on one of his stuffed animals so I figured he was trying to tell me something. This past weekend, I made him a little 9 x 12 pillow and pillowcase that match the crib set I also made. Of course when I peeked in last night, he was hugging the pillow and his head was on Grover!

My daughter started using one at about 17 months. She too, was putting her head on a stuffed animal she sleeps with. My mom bought her a pillow pet, which she LOVED, so we let her take it to bed with her and that's what she uses. She's 19 months now. When she goes to bed every night she pats the pillow a few times and then lays her head down on it, it's the sweetest thing.

We also gave my son a pillow when he went to a 'big boy bed'. Just a standard sized pillow. He was about 25 months old.

Not to be snarky and gossipy, but I once knew a first time mom who wouldn't even let her child even sleep with a blanket- and he was 2.5. While that is an extreme example, I think parents can sometimes get fear-mongered into not using pillows and blankets until a ridiculous age. I also noticed that Ikea gives pillow cases with their crib comforter sets- it made me wonder if the Swedes use pillows much earlier.

We put one in our gal's crib when she turned 2, but she didn't start to actually sleep w/ her head on it until she was about 26 months. She's been using her muslin Aden & Anais swaddling blanket as a balled-up pillow for ages, though.

The pillow is a travel pillow from BB&B, probably similar in size to the official toddler pillows.

My son was 3 when he moved to a twin bed and got a pillow. He never uses it unless he puts his feet up on it. My daughter started using her pillow at 20 months because she would carry a pillow off the couch as she walked to bed. I got her a travel pillow.

I've had this conversation with my sisters! They keep saying NOT to use anything soft, but never really give the green light. I can see why there might be a (first time) mom still not using one at 2.5!

Personally, I figured all the restrictions were "officially" until 12 months, so I gradually introduced a blanket at 12 months for both kids, and then a pillow a few months after that...maybe 15 months? My son used it in his crib until he was 2.5; my daughter had to have the crib converted to a bed at 13 months since she was climbing out.

We use cheap full-size adult pillows for the kids. My husband and I slept with them for a little while - cheap pillows flatten out really fast. Once they were about the thickness of a hamburger bun, we turned them over to kids! I feel like they are big enough that they can keep their head on them, but flat enough that it doesn't put a big kink in their neck or pose much of a suffocation hazard.

I'm sure someone will highlight the dangers of sleeping with something "cheap" (I'm sure I have no idea what dangers lurk in cheap pillows), but it works for us.

*They = doctors, not my sisters

We gave our son a pillow pet when he turned 2 and he loves it in his crib with him.

We introduced a pillow right before 2 years old and a small blanket right before that.

We asked the Dr. at her one year checkup, because she enjoyed using our pillows, and he said it was fine to start using a pillow and blanket...we gave her a pillow right away, and she just recently (19 months) started using a blanket.

My 14 month old kept stealing her brother's pillow off his bed, and we figured she was giving us a signal. We just let her have her own and bring her cloth doll to bed with her; she has had a small blanket since about 11 months old.

Pillow sometime around 12 months for both of my kids. Both times the pillow was because they had colds and sleeping with their heads elevated helped with that...then the pillow just stuck around. And it seemed natural to add a blanket once a pillow was in there.

DD is 3.5 and she sleeps with a folded up blanket as a pillow. She started that around 2 I guess. She loves it and sleeps great so we've never even thought to change it.

thanks for the post--my daughter is 20 months old and I have been debating when to add one.

My son has slept with a blanket since he's been in his crib, about 4 months old (before that, in a bassinet, he was swaddled in one) and around 6 months old we put a flat pillow under his sheet to help elevate him while he slept with a bad respiratory infection. The pillow has been there since. He's now 14 months old.

My son is 2 and 1/2 and refuses blankets and pillows. I once read that physically, we don't need the support of pillows until age 4 or 5, so I wonder if some of our kids our simply emulating us.

No matter - as long as they are comfy - and sleeping!

My son is 19 months and he's been sleeping with his head on something for about a month or so. I haven't bought him a pillow, though, and probably won't be rushing out to get him one. He has a selection of blankets and stuffed animals in there, so he's fine. He moves around way too much to make bedding worth it.

I think whenever you feel the child is really mobile and can lift up on their arms and could turn over and wiggle out of a position if needed. I think I waited until after 12 months with both kids but not sure how much longer. And I use king size pillows which fill the space in the crib and on a twin bed so there was not a big gap left on either side. While I firmly believe safety warnings are there for good reason and with good statistical evidence, you know your child and things like this should not need so much debate.

My oldest was 1 I think and my mom bought her a tiny pillow and made pillowcases for them, she still sleeps with it and she's almost 5. Then my youngest has been sleeping with her boppy since she was 8 months. She would not go to sleep without it.

I found that a travel pillow was the perfect size for my daughter when she was around 2. I made some pillow cases for it, but you could just use a normal one and fold it over. Plus, they are easily washed! Of course now, it's all about Rosella the Unicorn Pillow Pet. :D

My daughter (now 4) tried the smaller travel/toddler pillows beginning around age 2 and we could never find one that felt just right. We bought IKEA's "pillow pocket" (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80131375), which is basically a fluffy pillow cover about the thickness of a light comforter with a zipper on the side, and that has worked great. It was nice and flat to get her used to using a pillow and allowed a way for me to add my own stuffing once she was ready for a taller pillow. She's just about done with it and now wants a "real" pillow.

My daughter has always slept with at least a light blanket but started using a thin quilt at about 6 months old. As for the pillow she was probably nearly a year old before I decided I was comfortable with having one in there with her.

My 2 1/2 year old girl has been sleeping on an Elmo pillow that she got when she turned 2. She LOVES it and won't sleep on anything else. However, she refuses to sleep under a blanket and often wakes up cold at night. So, we gave up and put the radiator space heater in her room during the winter - works great. Hopefully, she'll stay under blankets by next winter!