Soft Toy for a 10-Year-Old as a "Trustee": Psychological Functions and Neurobiological Foundations Introduction: The Phenomenon of the Transitional Object in the Pre-Adolescent Age At ten years old, a child stands on the threshold of puberty, facing the complexity of social relationships, the increase in academic workload, and the beginning of the formation of reflective self-awareness. In this context, a soft toy (a plush bear, rabbit, dog) ceases to be just a "toy" in the sense of play. It evolves into a complex psychological object — a "trustee" or an advanced transitional object. From the perspective of developmental psychology and neurobiology, this is not infantilism, but an important tool for emotional self-regulation and identity. Psychological Architecture of the "Trustee" The concept of the "transitional object" was introduced by pediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott. However, for a 10-year-old, a toy performs more mature functions that go beyond early separation anxiety. Emotional regulator: The prefrontal cortex, responsible for controlling emotions and impulses, is still actively developing. In moments of stress (a fight with a friend, a bad grade, a family conflict), a child needs a "co-regulator." An adult is not always available, and one cannot trust everything to a peer. A soft toy becomes a passive but emotionally charged listener. The process of talking about problems "out loud" to it or simply tactile contact (hugs) reduces cortisol levels — the stress hormone. This is an act of self-therapy, where the child, in essence, calms himself down, projecting his needs onto the object and responding to them. Keeper of identity and secrets: At ten years old, there is a need for privacy and personal space. A toy becomes a materialized "diary" or "witness" that knows all the secrets but never betrays. It is a stable, unchanging part of "I" in a world where self-esteem begins to fluctuate under the influence of external evaluation. It does not crit ... Read more