At what age should we wean from a dummy. At what age to wean a child from a dummy

For babies, the pacifier is perhaps the main item they need throughout the day.

For mothers, this device is a real helper, thanks to which they can calm the baby down, carve out half an hour to cook dinner or drink a cup of tea. And yet, when should adults wean a baby from a pacifier, and what is the right way to do it?

In the newborn age, the sucking reflex is one of the most important, which is why it is checked at birth.

If the sucking reflex is well formed, you don't have to worry about feeding the crumbs. However, he begins to play a secondary role when the child grows up.

It is important not to miss this moment so that the nipple does not lead to an incorrect bite and delay in the baby's speech development.

Growing up, some children throw away the pacifier themselves, while others categorically refuse to part with it. For many mothers, weaning a baby from a nipple becomes a headache.

Friends, grandmothers and ordinary acquaintances come to the rescue with numerous suggestions and wise advice. However, you should not be equal to them, each baby is an individuality.

At what age should you wean from the nipple?

It's up to you to decide when and how to get rid of the habit, but psychologists say that the best age period for this is 4-6 months.

The baby can be easily distracted, and if you endure two or three days, then he will not remember that he once had a dummy. But some parents miss such an important time, while others can not stand children's tears and return it to the baby.

The next convenient moment comes closer to the second anniversary. The little one is already beginning to understand what is happening, and it is easier for adults to establish contact with him, explaining where their favorite trinket has gone.

To prevent him from developing another bad habit - sucking fingers, it is necessary to keep his hands occupied with toys.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, there are no definite time limits and special medical methods for weaning children from dummies.

You will have to become a real teacher: patiently explain, experiment (hide, lose).

By the way, the famous pediatrician is sure that the harm to the nipple is overly exaggerated. So to use it or not is the exclusive right of every mother.

How to wean a baby from a nipple?

So, you decided to save your child from a not very pleasant habit. It remains to choose the most suitable method for this.

For younger children, gradual abandonment is more suitable, and for older children, the so-called instant technique should be chosen. Be mentally prepared for whims, bitter tears and plaintive childish eyes.

Patient method: for children under one year old

Psychologists are sure that the sooner you begin to wean your baby from this addiction, the less your and children's nerves will be spent. Follow these guidelines:

1. Show your nipple as little as possible. If the baby is crying, try to distract him with a treat, play with cubes, a pyramid, or take him into your arms. Gradually, the dummy will become less attractive for your child as it used to be.
2. Three to four weeks before weaning begins, new sleep rituals should be devised. Hum lullabies, read nursery rhymes and short poems, stroke your back and tummy. Find another version of the "sedative" - \u200b\u200bfor example, a teddy bear.
3. From seven to eight months, teach your child to drink from a mug. The bottle, and therefore the nipple, will disappear much faster if the children learn to swallow.

Abrupt refusal: for children from one to three years

Your son is already two years old, and he still has a dummy? With this method, the baby will get rid of this habit very quickly, but you will need remarkable imagination, tactics and endurance.

1. It's no secret that children of this age willingly believe in a fairy tale. Tell that during a walk sly squirrels, dogs, cats "stole" the pacifier right from under your nose. Or put it in a parcel and "send" it to a magical grove where little animals live.
2. Try to "lose" her on the street or "forget her at a party." Some children react calmly enough, while in others this technique causes an attack of terrible hysteria. In this case, the pacifier must be replaced.
3. If the nipple breaks or breaks, you don't need to rush to the pharmacy right away. Empathize with the baby and tell them that new pacifiers will no longer be sold for such adult babies.
4. The cousin of the Tooth Fairy, the Dummy Sorceress, lives in the USA and Canada. She takes the unnecessary little thing, and in return gives a beautifully packaged toy, which a child recently looked after in the store.
5. By the age of two, your offspring is already quite actively chewing food. Therefore, replace the bottle of formula for complete solid foods.

What not to do when weaning off the nipple

Getting rid of a certain addiction is a rather difficult and lengthy psychological process. Avoid outdated and ambiguous ways to avoid injuring your child:

• do not cut the nipple, because the crumb can swallow a piece of latex, which, if it does not block the throat, will go into the stomach;
• do not scold, and even more so do not hit the handles if the baby reaches for the nipple;
• do not tell terrible stories about the evil Babayka, who drags children into the forest, sucking a bottle;
• do not link weaning to other serious events (mother's going to work, teething, potty use, moving, adaptation in a nursery or kindergarten, illness);
• avoid using grandmother's recipes (smearing with mustard, garlic juice, lemon), as spices can lead to allergies;
• you should not shift this procedure to other family members: father, grandmother, because in this difficult period your child needs your support.

If you decide to wean the baby from the nipple, please be patient and persistent. Give your child more attention without leaving him alone with this habit.

Wean from a dummy - a responsible period for parents. In order to properly cope with the problem and not cause severe stress to the child, let's look at its essence - what does a dummy mean for a newborn, how and why addiction to it arises.

Soother for a newborn - the main sedative subject. After all, sucking is a natural reflex for a baby, which manifests itself even before birth. The baby sucks his thumb while in the womb, thus preparing and training the entire digestive system for eating after birth. Sucking is a process that calms the child down, takes his time and even allows him to discover a new world for him. This is the usual and sometimes the only way the baby knows to cope with the stresses of the world around him. Thanks to its soothing properties, the pacifier allows the baby to quickly get distracted from some irritant, feel some kind of security, calm down and fall asleep faster. That is why babies often require a pacifier in the evenings and when they are tired. A dummy for a child is associated with pleasant relief, therefore dependence on it forms very quickly and permanently.

How to wean a baby from a dummy

How to wean a baby from a dummy, no one will give you specific 100% instructions. Each mother finds herself a way out of this situation, knowing the habits and character of her baby, she herself decides how and when to wean from a dummy... Most children are ready to wean themselves from a pacifier at the age of about 1.5-2 years. But some can be easily weaned as early as 1 year old, while others stubbornly refuse to give up a pacifier even at 3 years old. As a rule, parents themselves feel if the child is ready to give up this habit. After listening to the advice of experienced mothers, you can make a list of recommendations, but it's up to you to decide. The main thing is not to harm the psyche of the child.

We have identified two methods of weaning a baby from sucking a pacifier that our parents use - abrupt and gradual.

Gradual dummy weaning technique:
It is less traumatic for the baby and can be applied at any age. It is advisable to start at 6-9 months. Don't expect it to be easy anyway. But we all know that raising children is not easy at all.

Don't poke your baby's pacifier every time he cries. Suggest other ways to calm him down: feed him, shake him, pet him, distract him with a game. Don't let your baby suck on the pacifier unnecessarily; try to give the pacifier only when the baby really feels uncomfortable and needs comfort. As soon as you see that the child is calm, distracted or asleep, quietly take out the pacifier - he will not even notice it. Do this as often as possible, remove the nipple as soon as possible, and the time spent without "her dear" will increase. The kid will gradually get used to this and will begin to lose interest in the dummy during active pastime.

Dramatic weaning from a dummy:
This method is suitable only for older children who are already beginning to consciously control their actions and deeds.

Although doctors advise to completely wean a baby from a pacifier at the age of 6-9 months, this does not work with most children. And many children only feel the strength to give up a pacifier on their own at the age of about 1.5 to 3 years.

Here are some tips on how to wean a child over the age of 1.5-3 years from a pacifier:

Gradually start limiting the use of the pacifier: do not take it outside with you, do not allow to suck while swimming and playing, while watching cartoons, give the pacifier only before bed, etc.

Plan a goodbye. You can imagine this in a playful manner. For example, tell your child that a night fairy will come in a few days or in a week, take the pacifier, and leave a gift for the baby in return. So the baby will get used to the thought that he will soon have to say goodbye to the dummy, but he will have time to get used to this thought, and consolation in the form of a gift.

You should not scold the baby for sucking a pacifier, but be sure to praise when he does not suck for a long time, in general during weaning, try not to scold or punish the child.

Try to start weaning from a dummy at a time when it is not planned to introduce other changes in his life, for example, potty training, entering kindergarten, moving to the country, etc.

Be consistent and persistent in your actions. If you have already decided to wean your child from a dummy, then wean it and do not indulge yourself or him. Of course, there will be whims, and maybe tantrums, and sleepless nights. As much as you want to give up at times, be patient and persistent. The more consistently you stick to the rules, the sooner your child will get used to doing without a pacifier.

Since an older child usually requires a pacifier when upset, tired, or bored, try to prevent these conditions as much as possible. Give your baby the comfort he needs when he wants a pacifier. For example, do not immediately leave his bed, putting him to sleep, but read a book to him, give him your favorite toy, or just hold his hand.

Don't let your child get bored. Try to occupy all the free time of the baby with games, reading, drawing, so that the child will forget about the dummy. Go for walks, invite friends to the baby. When a child requires a pacifier, try to distract his attention with some substitute for the mouth: give an apple or something else "long-playing" to chew, drink juice or milk from a straw, play musical instruments (pipe, whistle), blow soap bubbles or sing together a song, tell a rhyme in chorus.

Poke a small hole in the pacifier or cut off the tip, the baby will no longer be so comfortable to suck on it, and you will have a reason to convince him that the pacifier is "broken".

But this does not mean that one method excludes the other. If you gradually wean the child from the pacifier from six months and there is no result, then a sharp weaning will be easier.

Dummy harm

It is believed that prolonged sucking on a pacifier can lead to malocclusion and crooked teeth. In fact, only a very small number of babies experience bite problems, and the dummy has no effect on permanent teeth that begin to grow after age six. Sucking both pacifiers and thumb is equally harmful for the bite, but it is easier to wean a baby from a pacifier than from sucking a thumb.

One of the factors that determine the possible occurrence of problems in the oral cavity is the intensity of sucking on the pacifier or thumb. Babies who simply hold a finger or pacifier in their mouths are less likely to have a malocclusion compared to those who literally suckle hard and for long periods of time on a pacifier or finger. When you remove the pacifier from the mouth of an intensely sucking toddler, there is often a clear sound similar to pulling a cork out of a bottle. These children may have a curvature. In this case, you need to consult a dentist and try to stop using a pacifier as soon as possible.

If you use a pacifier, never dip it in honey or syrup. Not only is it bad for the teeth, it also increases the child's attachment to the pacifier.

Emergencies when it is necessary to wean the baby from sucking the pacifier as quickly as possible:

* If your baby sucks on a pacifier all day long or most of the time.
* If sucking on a pacifier interferes with the development of social and communication skills.
* If the child has any speech or hearing problems.
* If the child is over 3 years old.

The sucking reflex is the most important and one of the first in the life of a newborn. Some studies show that sucking on a nipple (pacifier) \u200b\u200bor thumb during the first months of life has a beneficial effect on his mental development. But this does not mean at all that the baby must be taught to use the dummy, since many children successfully do without it. Nevertheless, the conversation will focus on those children for whom sucking a pacifier is an integral part of their life. Naturally, a moment comes when the child's given addiction begins to interfere with the parents, and they want to wean him from him in all possible ways.

Oddly enough, but, as a rule, the baby is ready to part with the pacifier at about six months. The main thing for parents is not to miss the moment when the child begins to abandon the pacifier and calmly fall asleep without it. But you should not rush to throw away the pacifier on the same day, since the child still needs it badly. It is recommended to wean the baby from the pacifier gradually, reducing the time of using it, while the mother should pay as much attention to the child during this period as possible: tell fairy tales, sing lullabies, offer new useful and interesting entertainment (soft cubes, pyramids), that is, distract the baby from pacifiers, and not gag it for up to two years. During the daytime, a walk, various games, and games with children of his age can be good distractions from the nipple.

The harm caused by sucking a pacifier.
A long period of sucking a pacifier negatively affects the structure of the oral cavity, it begins to change. In addition, it is the dummy that is considered the main culprit in the formation of an incorrect bite in a child and defects in diction, since during the period when the first milk teeth appeared, the child actively sucked the nipple.

Also, many pediatricians strongly recommend that parents refrain from wetting pacifiers in sweet (honey, jam) in order to calm the baby and to fall asleep quickly, since the baby can become dependent on a certain taste, and this interferes with weaning him from the pacifier, and also creates favorable conditions for development caries.

How to wean a child from a dummy?
Ideally, there is no need to wean a child from a pacifier, unless initially taught to it. In the first days of a child's life, gaziks disturb him, from which he can cry incessantly. On the same days, my mother is trying to establish breastfeeding. Naturally, the easiest way to calm a baby is with a pacifier. However, remember that it is very easy to accustom a child to a dummy, but to wean ...

Many children can stop sucking the nipple on their own only after three years, but there are times when this moment is extended to six years. Of course, parents start trying to wean the baby from the pacifier much earlier, since the consequences of prolonged sucking can negatively affect his health. It will not be easy for a child to change the usual order of substances; this will require non-human endurance, patience and a huge amount of time, especially in cases of the child's unwillingness to abandon the nipple. Parents should be ready for tears, whimpering, whims of the child, which will inevitably arise during this period.

To wean a child from a dummy, it is necessary, first of all, to choose a calm period in the child's life, since parting with a friend object will occur for the first time. In the second year of life, it is much more difficult to wean a child from sucking a pacifier, and this process will be more painful for him. In rare cases, when the parting of a child with a pacifier is carried out in an abrupt form, psychological stress can be inflicted on the baby, which will be expressed in a bad mood, restless sleep, and tears. This is why this process requires a gradual approach. Parents should be sensitive to the needs of their baby. It is not recommended to take the nipple by force, to pretend that you cannot find it, while the child tearfully begs you for it. It is necessary to help your child cope with this "bad" habit. At a more conscious age of the child, it is necessary to try to negotiate with him, so that the child independently decides to part with his beloved "suck": for example, a pacifier is issued for a few minutes just before bedtime. Or 15 minutes after leaving kindergarten.

You can try to wean your child from the pacifier with an impromptu farewell ceremony and complete withdrawal from use. But this method is not suitable for all children, since it is more rigid. For example, "give" a pacifier to a little squirrel or bear who are lonely and scared without it in the forest, or give it to a younger child who needs it more, or solemnly throw it in the trash. At the same time, consistency in the actions of all family members is important - no, then no.

However, if the child painfully endures parting with the pacifier, while his sleep is disturbed, the child becomes nervous, and this state continues for more than 20 days, you should not continue to torment the child. This situation suggests that the child is simply not ready to part with his beloved "sucker", therefore, in order to prevent mental and physical disorders, it is better to postpone the process of weaning from a dummy for some time.

Many parents, in order for the child to lose interest in the nipple, gradually cut it. Naturally, when a child begins to suck on such a pacifier, it does not satisfy all his needs, but he cannot understand what the matter is, so he quickly loses interest in her. But this method is applicable only for children who do not yet understand that they can go and replace the broken "sucker" with a new one in the store. If a child begins to cry, it is necessary to emphasize that he is already big, that a dummy is needed only for those children who still cannot walk.

In the case when the child does not require a pacifier at all during the daytime, but before bedtime it should always be there, you can try to replace the pacifier with your favorite toy. In this case, the first time the child must be allowed to fall asleep with both of them.

In the case when the baby, at two, and even more so at three, still does not want to part with the nipple or continues to suck his thumb, it is worth contacting a psychologist.

There is another interesting way to save your baby from sucking on the nipple. It is necessary to dig a hole in the garden, vegetable garden and solemnly bury the dummy in the presence of both parents and the child. Let the child water it. Then, at this place, parents should plant a tree and hang, for example, a candy on it. Let the child water this tree every time and find something pleasant that the parents will secretly leave there.

In conclusion, I want to add that each child is individual and develops in its own way. Parents should remember that they should not equal and compare their child with the children of friends and acquaintances. The main thing is to help the child get rid of the pacifier at the most favorable time for him.

Weaning a child from a dummy is a difficult task that requires patience from parents. Sometimes it takes up to 2-4 months, but most babies give up the nipple in 4-6 weeks, subject to gradual weaning at the appropriate age.

Many mothers do not know when it is recommended to take a pacifier from a baby, and their decision is based only on public opinion. There are no strict age limits for weaning from the nipple, so you need to focus on the condition and individual characteristics of the child.

The main reason why babies quickly become attached to sucking a pacifier is innate reflexes, especially sucking. When a baby is born, neonatologists must check for the presence of the most important reflexes.

If the baby opens his mouth, trying to find and grab his mother's breast, it means that his mental and emotional development will go right.

Newborn babies can suck on anything: the tip of a blanket, a pillow, a finger. The latter option is dangerous with a high probability of infection, so if such a habit begins to appear in the crumbs, pediatricians recommend using a dummy.

The anatomically shaped nipple resembles a baby's mother's breast, so babies fall asleep well and calm down quickly when given a pacifier.

If the baby does not satisfy the need for sucking (for example, with a short feed), he can pull everything into his mouth: from bed linen to dirty fingers. To prevent this from happening, and the child develops harmoniously, doctors advise using a pacifier.

Why a dummy is dangerous: truth and myths

Statement 1. Babies who suck on a pacifier quickly give up breast

Fact: The technique of pacifier sucking is different from that of a mother's breast. In order for a newborn to receive hindmilk, rich in vitamins and fats, he must correctly breastfeed: open his mouth wide, twisting the lower lip, and grab not only the nipple, but also the areola (areola).

When sucking on a pacifier, your baby's lips are practically closed. If the baby sucks the pacifier for a long time and often, this leads to improper attachment, which, in turn, can result in a decrease in mother's milk.

Some women, after the introduction of the nipple, cannot establish lactation, and they have to transfer the baby to artificial feeding.

Statement 2. Sucking a pacifier forms an irregular bite

In fact: modern dentists deny the link between pacifier sucking and malocclusion. In some cases, indeed, children who are accustomed to the pacifier later begin to pronounce certain sounds, but a direct relationship with sucking a pacifier has not been proven.

Statement 3. A dummy is a source of infections

In fact: everything that gets into the mouth of the crumbs must be perfectly clean (even better - sterile). Toys, teethers, and pacifiers must be washed and boiled before use.

In practice, this is difficult to do, as the growing toddler often drops the nipple into the mud or sand. If this happens on the street, some mothers consider it sufficient to pour water over the nipple and wipe it with a handkerchief, after which they give it to the baby again. This can be hazardous to the health of the newborn!

Street soil is home to a huge number of bacteria, including the tubercle bacillus, which die only when boiled. Tuberculosis and other infections are dangerous for children in the first year of life and can be fatal!

Statement 4. Children accustomed to a dummy have little interest in the world around them

In fact: this is also true. If there is a nipple in the baby's mouth all the time, he does not have a desire to stuff something else there and there is no point in weaning him off of it. Children of the first year of life learn the environment through touch and taste, therefore the need to gnaw something and try "by the tooth" is physiological and speaks of the correct and healthy development of the child.

In this video, Dr. Komarovsky shares with mothers and fathers advice on how to wean a baby from a dummy, and what to do if the parents cannot do this.

Why is it hard to wean children from a dummy?

About 88% of children find it difficult to part with a dummy. There are reasons for this. They can be physiological or psychological.

Physiological reasons:

• the child does not have enough mother's milk, and he tries to cheat hunger with a pacifier;
• the need for sucking is insufficiently satisfied;
• the baby's teeth are teething, and the dummy helps him to more easily survive the soreness and discomfort of this period.

Psychological reasons:

• with a dummy, the baby feels more confident and calmer, falls asleep faster;
• a nipple for a little man is a "mom's substitute", so parting with her is always painful;
• without a pacifier, the child feels confused and helpless, because he does not know how to deal with his feelings now.

In order for parting with the nipple to be painless, it is necessary to show increased tenderness and love towards the baby, since this stage is very important for him.

When can you wean off a pacifier painlessly?

Each baby is individual, has its own character and preferences, so there can be no general recommendations about the optimal time to wean from the nipple.

Pediatricians advise using a pacifier before reaching six months of age, since the sucking reflex of the neonatal period begins to fade away precisely by 6 months.

If it was not possible to do this at an early age, and the child is painfully experiencing parting with the nipple, you need to postpone the attempts for a while, and then repeat the steps again.

It is also not necessary to tighten strongly with weaning from the nipple. By the age of 2, the child must part with the dummy.

How to wean a baby from a pacifier?

Up to 1 year

At this age, the child does not yet understand that it is possible to do without a dummy, so weaning should be smooth and gradual. For this period, parents need to be patient, since it will not be possible to wean the baby off the nipple quickly.

It can take several months, but the peace of mind and the stable emotional state are worth it. How to gradually wean an infant from a dummy?

• When the baby is awake, you need to constantly deal with him: play cubes, collect pyramids, just walk around the room and examine the surrounding objects. Walking on the street is especially useful in this regard. If the baby gets a lot of new experiences and positive emotions, the need for a nipple will gradually decrease.
• Don't take a pacifier for a walk. On the street, you can show the crumbs of animals, trees, flowers, passing cars, etc. His attention should be constantly occupied with something (if he is not sleeping at that time).
• At home, you should not leave the pacifier in a visible place. It is better to put it in the closet and take it out only when there is really a need for it.
• It is necessary to give the baby a pacifier after satisfying hunger, so that he does not develop the habit of replacing feeding by sucking a pacifier. It is detrimental to development and can lead to eating disorders in older age.
• After falling asleep, do not leave the pacifier in the child's mouth. It must be carefully cleaned and left in the crib so that the child does not feel stress if he suddenly wakes up and does not find a familiar object nearby.
• You can try reading fairy tales to your baby before going to bed (in a darkened room). By 6-7 months, the baby is able to fall asleep without sucking a pacifier if he hears his mother's voice.
• Mastering the cup can also solve the nipple problem. The sooner a child learns to drink from a cup, the sooner the need for nipples and bottles will disappear.

Weaning plan for the week

• 1 day. Remove the pacifier during the day, providing the baby with interesting leisure time and the constant presence of the mother.
• 2nd day. Do not give the baby a pacifier after feeding - it is better to try again to offer the breast. Perhaps the child is crying because he has not eaten.
• 3rd day. If a baby sleeps on the street with a dummy, it's time to give it up. It is advisable to go for a walk while awake.
• 4th day. The actions of the previous days are repeated so that the child gets used to and adapts to new conditions.
• Day 5. During the day, do not give the newborn a pacifier (until falling asleep).
• 6 days and 7 days. Try to lay the crumb without a dummy (sing songs, read fairy tales).

Throughout all days it is necessary to remove the nipple from the baby's mouth after falling asleep (for a night's sleep). This is an important stage in the process of weaning a baby from a dummy.

Up to 2-2.5 years old

At this age, babies are very sentimental, so it might be best to ask them to give the pacifier to someone younger. It is only important to explain to the baby why this needs to be done, to tell that he is already big, and Masha from the next apartment is still small and she does not have a nipple, so she is constantly crying and sad.

If the kid perceives fairy tales more, you can tell him about a teddy bear, a kitty or any toy that is at home, and come up with a plot with a request to give a dummy to the hero. Children usually love their toys and willingly take such a step, enjoying the act.

If the baby categorically refuses to part with the dummy, you should not put pressure on him, shout and make fun of him. This can cause serious psychological trauma, and it will become almost impossible to wean a child from a dummy (up to 3, and sometimes even 4 years).

Over 3 years old

If the child is already 3 years old, and he is still sucking on a pacifier, you must act decisively. At this age, children do not experience a physiological need for a nipple, so parting with it does not bring much suffering. A sharp weaning from the nipple involves the complete isolation of a favorite object from the eyes of the child.

The mother needs to talk to the baby and in a calm voice explain to him that from now on he will not use a pacifier, since he is already large, and such a habit can negatively affect health and development. It is important to speak confidently and firmly so that the child understands that this decision is final.

If the child begins to cry and be capricious, you should not give up slack and return the dummy to him, otherwise he will understand that it is easy to manipulate the parents, achieving what they want with tears and screaming. This behavior usually goes away after 1-3 days, after which the baby completely forgets about the nipple.

What cannot be done?

• Do not smear the pacifier with mustard or other bitter spices. This can cause a spasm of the muscles in the larynx and a severe allergic reaction.
• You can't raise your voice at the baby and be angry with him for still sucking on the nipple. The child is unable to understand the cause of the mother's anger, which will cause fear and increase the dependence on sucking.
• Do not attempt to wean the nipple during periods of illness, feeling unwell or teething.
• You can't cut the nipple. This is extremely dangerous, as pieces of latex or silicone can get into the baby's throat and cause a choking attack!

When is emergency dummy weaning required?

A sharp weaning from the nipple should be used in the following cases:

• the child reaches the age of three;
• hearing impairment;
• delayed speech development, incorrect pronunciation of sounds;
• delay in general development, lack of interest in the surrounding world;
• isolation in communication with peers;
• problems with appetite.

What if the child takes the pacifier again after weaning?

Re-habituation to sucking a pacifier is most often associated with psychological reasons. Parents should analyze the situation in the family and identify moments that negatively affect the emotional state of the baby.

Stress is also the reason that the baby began to take the pacifier after weaning. Divorce of parents, moving to a new apartment, fear - all this can lead to psychological discomfort and traumatize the child's psyche.

Sometimes parents are not able to cope with such a situation on their own, so in severe cases the help of a child psychologist may be needed. To restore a calm atmosphere in the family, you should avoid talking in a raised voice, sorting out the relationship and other moments that can scare the baby.

Important! You can't swear and shout in the presence of a child. If parents have disagreements, they must be resolved without a child and in a calm tone.

After the cause of the psychological problems is resolved, you can try weaning from a dummy using the methods listed above.

Weaning from a dummy is a difficult process that requires maximum dedication and patience from parents. For a successful result, you will need love and tenderness - these are the main components of the baby's calmness and confidence, which are necessary for an easy parting with the nipple at any age.

In kindergartens, clinics and playgrounds, you can see quite adult babies sucking a pacifier. For parents, sometimes this state of affairs becomes a big problem. Mom and Dad are doing everything to wean the child from the nipple. And what is the best way to do this if the child is more than 2 years old? More on this below.

What is a nipple for?

Do not think that this paragraph in the article is optional and even unnecessary. Before learning how to wean a child from a dummy, you must definitely find out why, in general, a child needs it. If for a newborn baby and a child of the first year of life, a dummy is a means of satisfying the sucking reflex, then for a two-year-old baby it is something somewhat different. The fact is that it very often happens that the child is restless, or the woman has, for some reason, to sharply wean the baby from the breast. The kid cries and screams. And mom offers him a dummy. The child finds comfort in her.

But it's one thing when a pacifier is used infrequently, for example, in the case of severe fright in a child or before bedtime. But it also happens that the child simply does not let the nipple out of his mouth. For such children, the nipple is often the whole world, it replaces communication with parents and with peers, calms, entertains, distracts from something bad. In such cases, the dummy can even hurt.

Dummy harm

How best to wean a child from a dummy will be written below. But first, it's worth finding out what harm the most common dummy can cause. How can it be harmful? Firstly, if the nipple is in the mouth constantly, then it can distort the bite and affect the growth of teeth. But that's not all. After two years, a normally developing child should actively master speech, speak new words, try to say something difficult, for example, sentences. But how will the baby do all this when the mouth is busy with the nipple and the tongue is unable to move normally? And this will lead to the fact that the child will speak little or refuse to do it at all.

Among other things, children who actively suck on a pacifier often have no need for communication. The child sucks the pacifier, goes about his business, lives in his own world, everything suits him. But communication is simply necessary for harmonious development, both psychological and social. Such children grow up unsociable, withdrawn, notorious.

Babies who suck on a pacifier are more likely to get intestinal infections in 30% of cases. All of the above points undoubtedly indicate that a dummy for a two-year-old child is a device not only useless, but sometimes harmful.

When to wean a child from a pacifier?

How, and most importantly, when is it better to wean a child from a dummy? It all depends on the child. Some babies refuse to nipple themselves in a year. But if after two years the refusal did not happen, then it is worth starting to take action. By the way, some psychologists believe that the optimal age for weaning is from 1.5 to 3 years. At this stage, the baby is already able to understand and accept a lot, he will not cry for no reason. But this does not mean that it will be easy to wean a two-year-old child. If there is a rather strong dependence, then you have to be patient and get ready for the fact that it can take quite a long time (3-4 months) to wean you.

Of course, many are not even interested in knowing how to wean a child from a dummy. Such parents decide to just wait for the moment when the child decides for himself that the nipple is not needed. It happens sometimes. But that moment may not come. Then the situation will only get worse. Therefore, it is very important that the mother knows her baby and feels his emotions and attitude towards the nipple. In addition, if a dummy interferes with your child's ability to communicate, speak, or have hearing problems, then action should be taken immediately.

How to wean a child from a pacifier?

It should be noted right away that there is no specific method as such. But conventionally, two methods can be distinguished: sharp weaning and gradual. The essence of the first is that the failure must happen abruptly. For example, a mother can throw out the pacifier and tell the child that a bird has taken her away. You can also cut the pacifier (blaming it, for example, a kitty). Some mothers give the pacifier to the dog and its puppies and explain to the child that the baby's dog really needs a pacifier. It is very important to support the baby, to cheer him up. If the refusal occurs, then the child needs to be praised, you can make an incentive gift. Here's how you can wean your child off a pacifier quickly, but only if the baby is ready for it.

If the child literally depends on the nipple and spends almost all his time with a pacifier in his mouth, then you need to act gradually. So, it is important to minimize the moments in which the child usually takes on a dummy. If such a moment has come, then you need to try to distract and calm the child in other ways. In addition, every time a baby puts a nipple in his mouth, you can say that an evil nipple has come into his mouth and wants to expel the tongue from there. Sometimes these tricks work.

How can you painlessly wean your child off a pacifier? It is important to capture the state and emotions of the baby. It is not worth bringing to hysterics, if the child cannot calm down in any way, then it is better to give a dummy, since the psyche of children is weak and unstable. But parents need self-confidence and consistency. So, if it is decided to start weaning, then you should not postpone it, there should also be no indulgences without a reason. The child must see that the mother is persistent, then he will believe that she is right. Among other things, you need to create the most comfortable living conditions for the child. The kid should not be bored or sad, you need to go for a walk with him, play, communicate, be interested in his affairs. You should not scold or punish a child! Weaning should take place during a period when no other changes are coming in the child's life (moving, kindergarten).

Weaning from the nipple can drag on and take a lot of energy from the parents. You should be patient and believe in yourself and your child. In this case, everything will be successful!