Weaning off the pacifier. How to wean yourself off the pacifier without psychological trauma

Daytime nap

Hysterics

Not a single little thing sometimes causes such heated discussions within one family as the most common pacifier - a pacifier. Mom, for example, doesn’t see anything wrong with it, but grandma desperately protests and insists that the pacifier is incredibly harmful to the baby’s bite. Dad takes a neutral position, but only until the moment when the baby starts yelling.

And what a hassle it is to lose a pacifier if the child is already used to it! Parents are ready to run to the pharmacy in the middle of the night for a new one, just to calm down their child. The famous children's doctor Evgeniy Komarovsky tells whether such a pacifier is necessary for a child, how to wean him off it in time, and whether there is any harm from the fact that a baby sucks a pacifier.

"Pros and cons"

If you don’t give a pacifier as a matter of principle, then the baby will most likely start sucking his finger as soon as he can reach his mouth with it. This is an unsatisfied sucking reflex, which absolutely all newborns have, and which goes away on its own at a certain age. A child sucks his thumb not because he wants to, and not at all out of boredom. This is an instinct, and it is completely useless to fight it, says Evgeny Komarovsky.

If you choose between a finger and a pacifier, then Komarovsky says that the pacifier is optimal. Its harm is greatly exaggerated, but its benefits are undeniable, because it:

helps satisfy the sucking reflex;

calms the child, puts him to sleep;

stimulates intestinal motility, develops facial muscles.

There is no consensus on the dangers and benefits of pacifiers in pediatrics. Some doctors say that it is harmful, others recommend giving it to little ones. One thing is certain, says Evgeny Komarovsky: you need to listen to the child himself. If he wants to suck, let him suck. If he spits out the pacifier, there is no need to insist. It’s not a good idea to teach it specifically at 2 months, at 3 months, or later, when teeth begin to emerge.

If the pacifier solves some specific problems of the child, there is nothing wrong with it, but if the pacifier itself turns into a problem, you need to try to part with it or endure it. So, many children at 5-7 months, when falling asleep, “lose” the pacifier or take it out of their mouth themselves, and then get scared and start screaming in the night until their relatives come to their aid and return the pacifier back. In this situation, only the parents themselves need to evaluate the pros and cons and decide what is easier for them to endure - crying without a pacifier for several nights or an occasional cry because of a pacifier, which will pass when the baby realizes that there is no need to touch it with his hands.

Often mothers are afraid: when the time comes to separate the child from the pacifier, his psyche will begin to suffer from this.

This is not true, the doctor is sure, weaning the pacifier does not entail any disturbances in mental and emotional development. Such information is disseminated by not very literate and knowledgeable people.

Another argument of opponents of nipples is a decrease in lactation. They say that the child, having sucked enough of the pacifier, will eat less of the mother’s milk, and her production of this same milk will expectedly decrease. Komarovsky advises not to panic, but to rely only on the facts: if the baby is growing well and gaining weight normally, you don’t have to worry about the fact that he didn’t eat something because of the pacifier.

If there are signs of malnutrition, low weight, or other symptoms of retarded physical development, you need to find the cause, and it is unlikely to be a pacifier. Sucking during a meal is determined by such an instinct as hunger, and sucking a pacifier is the satisfaction of another instinct, sucking.

How to choose the “right” pacifier

Today, on the shelves of pharmacies and children's stores there is a huge selection of pacifiers. There are silicone and latex, with and without rings, large and small. It is difficult for parents, especially those without experience in selecting such items, to understand which pacifier is considered “correct.”

Evgeny Komarovsky claims that a properly selected pacifier has less impact on the bite.

Normally, at the moment of sucking, a child should create a significant load on the tongue, and the perioral and facial muscles should also work well. The lower jaw, which is smaller than the upper jaw at birth, grows more intensively with the help of such “training” and by six months it catches up with the upper jaw. When choosing a nipple, you need to understand that it should be as similar as possible to a female nipple, that is, physiologically adapted.

Latex pacifiers are yellow, silicone pacifiers are white. Both of them last a long time, unlike the rubber ones that our grandmothers used when they were little. However, silicone ones are better able to withstand repeated boiling and do not cause an allergic reaction.

Among all the variety, Komarovsky recommends giving preference to silicone pacifiers that have an anatomical or orthodontic shape and are appropriate in size for the child’s age. “One” in size is up to six months, and “two” is after six months. There is also a “troika” - after a year and a half. Foreign manufacturers designate these sizes accordingly with the letters of the Latin alphabet - A, B, C.

It is better if the chosen pacifier does not have a bulky base and dismountable parts, so that the child does not accidentally choke on spare parts from the pacifier.

When the first teeth come out, it is better to change the silicone pacifier to a latex one - it is softer and will not deform the teeth. You need to change a latex pacifier about once every month and a half, since it is less suitable for boiling and wears out faster.

Pacifier and bite

The favorite argument of all nipple opponents is the bite. Yes, the pacifier affects him, says Evgeny Komarovsky. But she is not alone. This is largely influenced by metabolism (how much the child receives and how he absorbs calcium, phosphorus), and whether there is enough vitamin D in his body.

If the child is “artificial” and in his life deals only with nipples, then this increases the load on the jaw. If he also sucks on his mother's breast, and then continues to satisfy his sucking reflex with the help of a pacifier, then there are other risks of changes in the bite.

When a baby acquires teeth, the state of the bite is affected by the quantity and quality of solid food that the baby will receive.

In addition, a lot of information about what shape the jaw will be, as well as how the upper and lower ones will be located in relation to each other, is contained in the genetic code, that is, it is embedded in the child even before his birth.

Thus, it is impossible to draw a parallel - a pacifier - an incorrect bite. Not a single doctor has yet been able to prove and argue that this is not the case. Therefore, the danger is rather theoretical in nature.

How to wean a child off a pacifier?

Weaning off sucking a pacifier is a troublesome task, and, most importantly, pointless, says Evgeniy Olegovich. In some children, the sucking reflex is strong and stable from birth, in others it is weaker. Second children, as a rule, quickly spit out the pacifier that has become unnecessary. And babies with a very strong reflex may require a pacifier at both 2 and 3 years old. However, no one has ever gone to school at the age of 6-7 with a “duda” in their mouth, says the doctor, and therefore there is nothing to worry about.

The problem of prolonged pacifier sucking is not a problem for the child, not a disease, not a bad habit - it is his need, but an absolute problem for the whole family. Mom and grandmother really want the baby to grow up quickly. Giving up a pacifier, in the understanding of most parents, is one of the steps towards growing up, like the first step, the first itch, the first word. And if the child does not want to part with the pacifier, then there is no need to mock him. His time, says Komarovsky, has not yet come.

The parents' action algorithm should be as follows:

We tried to hide the pacifier. If she screams and can’t sleep during the day, there’s no need to experiment anymore. The attempt is repeated six months later.

If your child is already doing well without a pacifier during the day, then you can try giving him a light herbal-based sedative before going to bed at night. It is quite possible that he will not need a pacifier to fall asleep. But if the demands remain in force, then give up the pacifier and return to trying to separate the child from it in about six months.

For many mothers, a pacifier (pacifier) ​​becomes a real salvation in the first months of a newborn baby’s life. The baby falls asleep easier with it, worries less and is capricious. But children become so attached to their “friend” that they sometimes continue to use a pacifier even at two and three years old. Naturally, this is not a very useful habit at this age, and parents try to gradually remove and wean the child from the pacifier in every possible way. But all methods are suitable for the child’s fragile psyche, and in order to choose the most optimal option and the right time for weaning off sucking the pacifier, it is necessary to take into account the baby’s character and follow the advice of pediatricians.

The benefits and harms of pacifiers

Smoothly giving up your favorite pacifier involves getting rid of the habit in a few weeks. This method is more suitable for babies under one year old and a little older. Gradual withdrawal involves following these tips:

• Don't take your pacifier on a walk;
• During the daytime, move the pacifier away;
• Teach your baby to drink from a cup as much as possible () ;
• Come up with new exciting games and entertainment for him;
• While sleeping, you can put your favorite toy in the crib, so the baby will understand that he is not alone and will devote less time to his old girlfriend;
• When falling asleep, wait until the baby falls asleep; you do not need to leave him at this time.

Weaning scheme for a week

1. For the first 5 days, give the pacifier half as much time as usual.
2. For the next few days, give the pacifier only at night (and during naps).
3. Reduce the time to fall asleep with a pacifier by half, giving the breast after the pacifier.
4. Give the nipple for a few minutes - then the breast.

You should give your baby a pacifier only in those difficult moments when he really cannot calm down without it.

Abrupt refusal

This method is suitable for children aged one and a half years and older, that is, for those who already understand their mother and can understand what she is explaining to him.

Abrupt refusal of the pacifier means once and for all!

But the baby must be prepared for this. And there are many effective ways for this; depending on the child’s character, each mother will be able to choose a convenient and optimal option.

• You need to give a pacifier to someone. Ideally, for a newborn baby - a neighbor or relative. Your son or daughter already understands that they are getting older, and the little one needs a pacifier. It must be said that nipples are necessarily passed from older to younger, and for an even greater effect, you can organize a moment of ceremonial transfer from hand to hand (of course, as a joke);
• You can " send to a little bunny in the forest or a fish in the sea". Your baby needs to be told that animals are afraid in the forest and only a pacifier can protect them;
• For some children, the method of throwing it into the sea, a car window, a train, or simply into the trash is suitable;
• After getting rid of the pacifier, the baby should definitely be given a good gift, emphasizing the fact that only large and independent children play with such toys.

After getting rid of the pacifier, you need to endure the baby’s whims for several days. Perhaps he will wake up at night, cry and demand a pacifier.

When a newborn has trouble falling asleep, is often excited about something, or does not want to tear himself away from his mother’s breast even for a minute, a pacifier comes to the rescue. Sucking calms the baby, and he falls asleep faster and is less capricious. However, sometimes a child gets so used to his “toy” that he does not want to part with it even at 2 or 3 years old, and recently, a seemingly harmless habit turns into a real task for adults. Let's talk about how and at what age to wean a child off a pacifier.

At what age should a child be weaned off a pacifier?

Even in the womb, the baby develops a sucking reflex. Thanks to it, the child satisfies his hunger and relieves stress. Surely you have noticed that in moments of excitement, excitement or painful sensations, the baby begins to suck his fingers or the tip of the blanket. It’s just that he is not yet familiar with other ways to calm down. During the sucking process, the newborn fully concentrates on the activity and is distracted from external stimuli, forgetting about unpleasant sensations. For some time, a pacifier becomes an indispensable assistant for parents, but the time comes when they need to say goodbye to it.

Psychologists have their own opinion at what age to wean a child off a pacifier. They believe that this is a period from 3 to 12 months. If he is not ready to give it up, the next attempts are made when he is 1.5-2 years old and it is possible to come to an agreement with him. However, there are no rules indicating at what age a child should be weaned off a pacifier. Moreover, the negative attitude towards pacifiers is greatly exaggerated. They do not interfere with digestion, do not slow down intellectual development, and pacifiers with a beveled top do not in any way affect the formation of the baby’s dentition and bite. Therefore, when parents turn to pediatricians with the question of at what age to wean their child off a pacifier, they shrug their shoulders and deviate from the answer: when they themselves consider it necessary. Little children have different attitudes towards nipples: some instantly get used to them and don’t want to part with them, others need them only in case of emergency, for example, with insomnia or hysteria, and others satisfy the sucking instinct while feeding with mother’s milk and not at all. need a pacifier.

How to wean a child off a pacifier at 1 year old?

Babies up to one year old and a little older are weaned off the pacifier gradually over several months. Parents gradually reduce the time the child spends with the pacifier and try to engage their baby with other toys or games. If you decide that your one-year-old baby no longer needs a pacifier, be patient and take action:

1. To begin with, try cutting the amount of time you use a pacifier by half, giving it to your baby only before lunch and bedtime.
2. While the baby is active, he should not see the pacifier. In response to any request to give him a pacifier, try to distract him with bright toys. At this age, children especially love to look at colorful children's dishes. Perhaps the child will switch his attention and forget about the recent request.
3. Don't take your pacifier outside. If you see that the baby is alarmed, try to distract his attention, especially since there are so many interesting things on the street: a dog runs by, a bird sits on a branch, etc.
4. If your child already knows how to drink from a sippy cup or cup, stop feeding through a bottle with a nipple. The faster the child gets used to it, the faster he can wean himself off the pacifier.
5. Give your child a pacifier only in cases where he really cannot calm down without it.
6. A pacifier can be replaced by a nibbler - a mesh or silicone cap with a comfortable handle. Chopped vegetables or fruits are placed in the mesh and given to the baby instead of a pacifier. All large pieces of pulp will remain inside the nibbler. Usually children like this replacement.
7. After some time, when the baby practically does not remember the pacifier during active hours, try giving it up before bed. Read a fairy tale, place your favorite “teddy friend” next to you and forget about the pacifier until the child himself reminds you of it.

Usually parents face the same problem: the child refuses to fall asleep without a pacifier. Toys distract attention for only a few minutes, and sometimes fairy tales are not at all interesting to him. The only way to deal with the problem is to exhaust the baby in a day. Try to spend as much active time as possible with your little one, take a walk in the fresh air, take a bath and eat a hearty meal before bed. The child should be tired during the day and want to sleep, no matter what the circumstances.

Parents who set out to wean their baby off the pacifier will have to constantly distract and entertain their child. At the same time, it is important that all family members act in the same way, and there are no situations when it is not easy to ask mom for a pacifier, but dad or grandmothers themselves put the treasured “toy” in their mouth. Be patient and you will see how gradually, step by step, the baby will stop remembering the pacifier, without which it was so scary to fall asleep just recently.

How to wean a child from a pacifier at 1.5-2 years old?

At 1.5-2 years old, the child already understands the explanations of adults and can come to an agreement with him. Usually parents simply hide the pacifier and say that it is lost. However, so that parting with the pacifier does not turn into a test for the baby, it is better to make sure that he voluntarily gives it up.

According to numerous reviews from parents, the most effective way to get their child to give up a pacifier is to come up with an interesting story about how little mice or kittens in the yard are scared to sleep without a pacifier and how happy they would be if someone gave them one. Fantasize as much as you like, the main thing is that the story is interesting, and the child understands that if he gives away his “toy”, he will do something significant. Oddly enough, children often willingly agree to such “charity” and give their pacifiers to cats and dogs, leave them under a tree for mice, or even send their pacifiers by letter. The more interesting the program is, the less the child will doubt the correctness of his action.

You can come up with a story that there is a good fairy to whom you can leave all your pacifiers under the door, and at night she will take them and give them to very small children (or animals) who need them more. If he is ready to help, in return the fairy will leave him some kind of toy that big children play with. Every child wants to grow up quickly and make their own decisions. If you come up with the right story in which he will look mature and independent, most likely your plan will succeed.

The main thing to remember is that the act of donation must be voluntary. If a child does not want to give up the pacifier, under no circumstances take it away from him by force and do not call him greedy. The process of giving up a pacifier should not turn into a drama.

What not to do. Basic "don'ts"!

Parents try to wean their child off the pacifier in every possible way. Some try to shame or intimidate with scary stories, others spoil or hide nipples. In most cases, all attempts end in hysterics, as a result of which the mother’s heart cannot stand it and the baby gets her “toy” back. It doesn’t matter at what age you will wean your child off a pacifier, the important thing is that it is done correctly:

• Don't scold your baby for sucking a pacifier. Without an explanation, the child simply will not understand your irritation. Moreover, children always copy the behavior of their parents, and if every time you see a pacifier you scream, the baby will answer you with the same scream or hysteria. Be patient and calm and your little one will not be so emotional about parting with the pacifier.
• Don't scare your little one with scary stories. There is no need to tell your child that if he sucks a pacifier, he will not grow or will have crooked teeth. Thus, you deliberately expose him to stress, and your task is not just to wean him off the pacifier, but also to maintain his emotional balance.
• Don't humiliate the baby. Never compare your child with other children, do not say that you are ashamed of him, etc. The baby should be confident in your love and feel supported. And with such expressions you will only develop many complexes in him. It’s another matter if his friends tell him that sucking a pacifier is ugly. In addition, the opinion of peers is more significant for children than the opinion of parents.
• Do not smear the pacifier with bitter or sour compounds (mustard, lemon juice or aloe vera juice). In the first year and a half, babies get to know the world “by taste”. If a thing familiar to him from the cradle suddenly becomes bitter, he will become frightened and may develop fear of other objects familiar to him. There is also a high probability that when the little one calms down, he will demand the pacifier again. But the main problem is that due to such experiences the child may develop allergies.
• Do not cut the pacifier. Some mothers cut off the tip of the pacifier or cut it into petals; the baby becomes uncomfortable sucking on it and refuses the pacifier himself. It's quick and simple, but the method has a huge drawback - the baby can bite off a piece of the pacifier and choke.
• Don't change tactics. You should not return your child's pacifier after the first tantrum. He must feel that his screams will not in any way affect the decision of mom and dad, otherwise the parents risk becoming eternal wish-fulfillers. For the same reason, you should not offer to exchange the pacifier for a gift. If you want to reward your baby for being able to give up the pacifier, it’s better to organize a party or buy a gift just like that, not in exchange.

As you understand, there are no medical methods for weaning babies off pacifiers, and all methods are only pedagogical in nature: explanations, distraction, fantastic stories, etc. At what age to wean a child off a pacifier and by what method is a personal matter for the parents. However, if all attempts turned out to be pointless, the baby has been throwing tantrums for several days and cannot sleep normally, it is better not to traumatize his psyche and return everything as it was. This means he is simply not ready for such changes yet.

The severity of the baby's sucking reflex fades over time, he develops many interests and usually by the age of two or three he himself refuses the pacifier. It is interesting that in the West, the question of how and at what age to wean a child off a pacifier does not concern parents. Moreover, it is considered quite normal if a three-year-old child walks with a pacifier in his mouth. In our country, parents who suffer more from the “addiction” of children believe in scary stories about the dangers of pacifiers and sometimes listen to statements like how big the child is and there’s a pacifier in his mouth. From a medical point of view, pacifiers do not cause any harm to health, and practice shows that the older the child, the easier it is for him to part with the pacifier.

Many parents are faced with weaning their baby off the pacifier. But doctors recommend not to rush, because as children grow older, they independently refuse the pacifier.

Some babies fall asleep faster when they start sucking. They calm down, sleep becomes sound and long.

Opinions differ regarding age. Even in the last century, no one in the villages was surprised when they saw a 4-5 year old child with a pacifier in his mouth.

It was convenient for adults because children did not interfere with their work. In some countries, prolonged pacifier sucking is still practiced. Doctors have different opinions on how long to stop sleeping with a pacifier.

Note! In Russia, it is customary to start weaning at 1.5-2 years.

Children go to kindergarten at 3 years old, so parents instill in them more independence. Often already at this age he can dress himself, and sucking a pacifier becomes harmful.

Psychologists are sure that at two years old a pacifier is not needed. This is due to the fact that his intellectual and speech development may lag behind.

There is a possibility of malocclusion. If a child requires a pacifier after 2 years of age, he needs social support and increased attention from adults. There needs to be more leniency towards these children.

How to wean your baby from falling asleep without a pacifier before the age of 1

You need to start weaning off the pacifier no earlier than 6 months. At this age, children tolerate separation more easily, and the sucking reflex gradually fades away.

To prevent your baby from remembering the pacifier, you need to make a little more effort. Parents need to offer their child interesting games and surround him with care and attention.

Important! If you don't start weaning at 6 months, then at one year the need for the sucking reflex disappears.

But a bad habit remains that prevents him from falling asleep normally and peacefully. The weaning process becomes difficult and lengthy.

1. At 4-5 months, it is necessary to gradually reduce the duration of sucking. When your baby starts to act up, you can distract his attention with a fairy tale, a lullaby or a rattle.
2. From 10 months, children can drink from a sippy cup rather than a bottle. After a while, you can remove the lid so that the container turns into a cup. Babies who drink from a sippy cup give up the pacifier faster and more easily.
3. You should not be allowed to take a pacifier unless absolutely necessary. It is given when the baby has anxiety, is teething or has a stomach ache.
4. After falling asleep, the pacifier is removed.
5. It is necessary to satisfy the baby’s needs, help him, learn new objects and things.
6. It is important to offer an alternative to the pacifier. This could be a small piece of banana, a baby cookie or a cracker.

In this matter, it is important not to rush, but to calmly respond to whims.

After a while, children begin to calmly respond to the pacifier and do not experience serious problems falling asleep without sucking.

Proper weaning of a baby at 2 years old

When a baby turns 2 years old and uses a pacifier, others begin to react to this with condemnation.

Some children at this age already go to kindergarten, so teachers ask them to wean the child off the pacifier.

There are several effective methods and correct recommendations:

Way	Detailed description
Making up a fairy tale	Parents appreciated the effectiveness of the method. Children are told an instructive tale about a fairy from a magical land. She brings pacifiers to the babies. Big children helped and left pacifiers at night. She took them and gave them a gift. You can come up with your own instructive story. It's important to show a little imagination
A little trick	We can say that the pacifier is lost or forgotten at a party. If the baby reacts calmly to the loss, there is no need to show him the pacifier. When he cannot calm down for a long time, you need to give him a pacifier. Severe stress is harmful, so after a while you can try again
Breakdown message	You need to cut off the rubber part from the nipple yourself, and wait until the moment when the baby starts asking for a pacifier. It is necessary to show him that his favorite thing is broken and cannot be repaired. New pacifiers are being sold to very young children

To make weaning quick and painless for the baby, you should not raise your voice at him or spank his hands.

There are no scary stories when children were taken away for using a pacifier for a long time. You cannot shame, tease or point out inferiority.

Many parents are interested in the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky and consider his recommendations effective and useful.

They ask about excommunication. Mothers do not want to harm the fragile psyche of the baby.

Dr. Komarovsky claims that today no magic pills have been invented that will help you wean off sucking quickly and painlessly.

Only pedagogical techniques must be used. This is a distraction, entertainment, putting pepper on a pacifier.

Important! If the baby cannot fall asleep without a pacifier, you can take your time with weaning and wait until the baby refuses on its own.

Parents are sure that the baby’s psyche is beginning to deteriorate. Dr. Komarovsky is confident that 2-3 days of whims during weaning will not cause disturbances in the emotional and mental state.

The baby does not see the difference or defect, but a damaged nipple does not satisfy the sucking reflex.

You can go up to a small baby with your child and give him a pacifier. This issue must be agreed upon and this option proposed.

Without warning or persuasion, children may react sharply to their parents' actions. All these methods will help you get rid of the pacifier faster and help your child learn to fall asleep at night without his favorite thing.

Useful video

Sucking a pacifier is an integral part of most babies' lives. But the time comes when parents decide to part with the pacifier. However, many questions arise when solving this problem. How to wean children off pacifiers? When should I start doing this? Is it necessary to wean off the pacifier at all? This article will answer these and many other questions.

Why do children love pacifiers so much?

With natural feeding, the baby's need for sucking is satisfied. During this process, a specific muscle group is involved. During breastfeeding, they work correctly, leading to satiety. If the baby is fed with special formulas from bottles, not the entire muscle group works, this is not enough to satisfy the reflex. Then the baby sucks the breast like a pacifier, spending a lot of energy, working his muscles more and more, trying to get enough of the sucking. Without the mother's breast, the baby does not do this well, then he becomes capricious and cries. Usually in such cases, parents offer their baby a pacifier. The child immediately calms down, because he was given the opportunity to satisfy his natural need.

If parents do not immediately pay attention to the whims, then the baby is forced to look for a replacement for the mother’s breast. As a rule, its role is played by fingers, cheeks, tongue, toys, a blanket, in general, everything that is at hand.

Children become very attached to a pacifier (especially if the child constantly sucks on a pacifier), consider it a favorite toy, a loyal friend, or simply an irreplaceable thing. Habit is a powerful engine, especially since kids are conservative. Everything should be constant and constant for them. It is difficult for a baby to understand that a pacifier will cause harm when it has helped him calm down or fall asleep all his life. Therefore, the demand for a pacifier is a common desire to return everything to its place.

Is sucking a pacifier harmful for a baby?

Dentists consider sucking a bad habit that must be identified in time and then eliminated, otherwise the child may develop serious malocclusion. Of course, they do not occur in all children receiving artificial feeding, but in most cases, unfortunately, this is so.

When sucking a pacifier, the tongue is in the wrong position. The muscles remember it, if the child sucks the pacifier for a long time, because of this, in the future the baby begins to snore at night.

But this does not mean that you urgently need to take away the baby’s pacifier and never give it to her again. Problems with malocclusion can be avoided by choosing the right pacifier and gradually reducing the time it spends in the baby's mouth.

What should the correct nipple be like?

Modern pacifier manufacturers are seriously concerned about this problem. It was necessary to make a model that would not negatively affect the bite and even help its proper development.

As a result, we developed an orthodontic pacifier, which parents who were interested in this issue have probably already heard about.

What is this pacifier? It has a thin neck, which is located in the mouth at the point of contact with the front incisors, and a special step that regulates the interaction of the teeth. The mug of the nipple has holes for air to enter, and the body is closely adjacent to the baby’s cheeks.

This design is currently considered correct, but still does not provide complete protection against malocclusion. Therefore, it is better to start reducing the time the pacifier stays in the mouth in advance than to think later about how to wean your baby off the pacifier.

Selecting a product by age

Usually, on the packaging of a pacifier, the manufacturer indicates in Roman numerals what age it is intended for. Parents should adhere to this marking, because the division by year was not invented for nothing. For small children they make small nipples, for older children - larger ones.

Below is the marking in Roman numerals according to age:

• Ӏ - from 0 to 6 months;
• ӀӀ - from 6 months to 1.5 years;
• ӀӀӀ - from 1.5 years.

Terms of use

1. After purchasing, the pacifier must be washed and disinfected. Boiling for a few minutes will suffice.

2. It is advisable to store the pacifier in a special cap, which is already included with modern models.

3. You cannot lick the pacifier yourself if you are going to give it to your baby later. Often parents are guilty of this.

4. It’s better to get identical nipples in advance. Children often drop them or deliberately throw them on the floor, then ask them to pick them up. It’s good if in such a case there are two identical pacifiers, the dirty one can be hidden and the clean one can be given to the baby. It is clear that you should not give a pacifier from the floor. Otherwise, the child will get used to putting everything dirty in his mouth. And then you will suffer, not knowing how to wean yourself off the pacifier from the floor.

5. If the pacifier falls out of the child’s mouth when he has already fallen asleep, there is no need to give it again; let him sleep without it.

6. There is no need to immediately grab the pacifier if the baby cannot fall asleep for a long time. Otherwise, he will get used to falling asleep only with her, and it will be difficult to wean him off from this later. You should be patient and try to lull the child to sleep yourself.

At what age is it no longer needed?

The use of a pacifier is rational up to one year. Until this age, the sucking reflex is still active, then it gradually fades away. This means that after a year the child does not need a pacifier. The question of how to wean a baby off a pacifier is already relevant.

If after a year the baby cannot part with his favorite thing, then this is no longer a need for a sucking reflex, but simply a habit that must and can be weaned off, but only gradually.

Typically, the first signs that a baby is ready to give up the pacifier can be seen as early as 3 to 6 months of age. Modern doctors believe that you need to wean yourself off the pacifier by six months; the main thing is not to miss this period.

Consequences of not taking the issue seriously

Sometimes parents’ ignorance leads to a situation where their already quite old child (2 years old) sucks a pacifier. This is fundamentally wrong. The negative consequences of such a habit were mentioned above in the article. Most often, a bad bite is formed, in which the front incisor teeth protrude forward, and this is in the best situation. However, this may be followed by a series of other pathologies: mouth breathing or inflammation of the lip border.

There are more advanced cases when a 4-year-old child sucks a pacifier. Here, in addition to malocclusion and other pathologies, psychological dependence on the pacifier arises. The child constantly sucks the pacifier, especially in stressful situations. Whenever parents try to wean their baby from this habit on their own, he begins to be capricious and cry. Only long-term consultations with a psychologist can help cope with a problem of this nature.

How to wean a child from sucking a pacifier?

During this period, you need to be patient and surround your baby with care. Wean off the pacifier gradually and without drastic actions. It is wrong to forcibly take away a pacifier, because this will only traumatize the baby. If a child sucks a pacifier or fingers instead, there is no need to forbid him to do this, scold him or spank his hands.

Doctors recommend using a special vestibular plate. Outwardly, it looks like an ordinary pacifier, only without the nipple itself. This design is made of elastic plastic. It is ideal for children over 3 years old. For babies, a pacifier substitute is made with a special silicone lining, which has a beneficial effect on the group of chewing teeth.

Thanks to its correct structure, the vestibular plate not only completely replaces the pacifier, but also produces a therapeutic effect, since it occupies a comfortable position in the oral cavity and forms the correct bite.

Weaning without tears

First you need to prepare your baby to refuse the pacifier before weaning it off. The child who is not at all ready for this step will sleep with a pacifier. Parents need to teach their baby to fall asleep without a pacifier. Until he himself asks for a pacifier, there is no need to give it when rocking. It is necessary to ensure that the child gets used to falling asleep without his faithful companion. But how to wean children off pacifiers?

There is only one way out - to distract him in every possible way before going to bed: sing a song, give him a favorite toy, rock him in his arms, tell him a fairy tale or an interesting story. Any action that does not injure the child is good. For example, threats or spanking should definitely not be used.

Some parents simply cannot stand the extra ten minutes, give in to the baby and give him a pacifier. You should not make this mistake, otherwise your child will form the wrong habits. Patience and more patience are the main weapon in the fight against the problem under consideration.

During the day, you also need to minimize the time you spend with your usual product. How to wean yourself off the pacifier while you're awake? To do this, you need to quietly remove it from the baby’s field of vision while playing or walking, that is, when he is passionate about something. Some parents are too busy to notice that their baby is sucking on a pacifier out of boredom.

1. You cannot show or give a pacifier unless the child persistently demands it himself.

2. Play with your baby as often as possible, fill his free time, keep his hands occupied with something (modelling, buttons, cubes), especially since this is very useful for the development of fine motor skills.

3. At 6-9 months, offer your child to drink from a cup, show by your own example that it is fun and convenient.

What not to do

1. You cannot smear the pacifier with something tasteless: pepper, mustard, salt and other substances. This technique is usually used to stop biting nails. But the baby is unlikely to like it. This is an ineffective way. It will not help in solving the problem of how to wean off the pacifier.

2. Don't be intimidating. Some parents come up with all sorts of horror stories or tell the truth that malocclusion may develop. You shouldn’t do this, don’t develop fears in your child! Only adults are the cause of children's worries.

3. Do not scream or scold your baby for sucking a pacifier. No one has ever liked a raised voice.

4. Do not tease for sucking a pacifier and do not allow others to do it. “You are so big, and still with a pacifier, just like a little one!” - such expressions are often used, although it is undesirable.

How to wean children off pacifiers: psychological tricks

1. Fulfillment of a cherished desire in exchange for a pacifier. Tell your child that there is not only a tooth fairy, but also a sorceress who gives gifts. If you put the pacifier in a corner (under the bed, under the pillow, in a drawer), she will take it away, and in return she will bring what the child dreams of. This way, the baby will not associate you with parting with the pacifier and hold a grudge against you; after all, he himself will decide to give up the pacifier.

2. Replace the pacifier with a toy. This trick is suitable if the child is used to falling asleep in bed with a pacifier. First, put your baby to bed with a pacifier and a favorite toy. This will take some time: for some it takes a few days, for others it takes a couple of weeks. Then you can offer to give the pacifier to the toy; usually at this age children do not mind sharing. After some time, invite the child to fall asleep only with the toy (without a pacifier). Give arguments, tell a story. You can always come to an agreement with children.

3. A fairy tale with the participation of a baby. All children love to listen to interesting stories, especially about themselves. Tell your child that one day a brave toddler (say his name, so he will imagine that the fairy tale is about him) saved little children by giving them his own pacifier.

4. A tale of old things. Tell your child an interesting story about how things become unusable over time, after which they need to be thrown away. For clarity, you can cut the pacifier. When you find it, sympathize with the baby and tell a story about old things, explain that he is already big and can live without a broken pacifier. Some kids quickly lose interest in damaged things because they don’t yet understand that they can buy new ones. However, the technique of cutting the pacifier should be used very carefully and should not be used on children who react sharply to everything.

5. The Tale of Animals and the Dummy. Cut a small part from the nipple. When your baby finds it, tell the story that the animals are taking the pieces for their babies. They can't buy new pacifiers, so they take small parts from children who are already grown and can live without it. Invisibly cut pieces from the pacifier until only one ring remains. Perhaps the baby will keep it, but will soon lose interest in it.

You can come up with as many similar tales as you like if you have a well-developed imagination. The main thing is that they are instructive, and the child understands what they want to convey to him.

It is important not to miss the period most favorable for weaning from sucking a pacifier. Otherwise, the child may form a habit. And habits, as everyone knows, are very difficult to get rid of, especially bad ones. It's difficult, but it's possible. Sooner or later the baby will understand that he no longer needs a pacifier. The child must make this difficult decision himself, and the parents’ task is only to competently push him to this step.