How to properly wean a Komarovsky from a pacifier. How easy is it to wean a child off a pacifier at different ages? Psychological aspects of weaning from the pacifier

Pacifier for babies - excellent sedative. It improves sleep, and with the correct form, it improves the bite. In addition, a pacifier dulls pain and distracts from the discomfort of any disease or problem. At the same time, the pacifier can harm the baby, especially when breastfeeding.

Using a pacifier impairs lactation, often leading to a decrease in milk supply and premature termination breastfeeding. Frequent and prolonged sucking causes middle ear infection and damage to the oral structure, and incorrect choice pacifiers lead to bite defects.

But subject to hygiene standards and pacifier use, infrequent and short-term use of a pacifier will help avoid the above problems. Whether the baby needs a pacifier is up to the parents to decide for themselves. If you use a pacifier, be prepared for the difficulty of weaning your baby off.

At what age to wean

First of all, you need to determine when to wean your baby. Many doctors recommend starting to wean off pacifiers before the age of one year. Indeed, than older child, the more difficult it is to wean yourself from your favorite habit. However, the time of weaning is individual and depends on the mental and physical development baby.

Some children can give up the pacifier themselves at 3-4 months, when the babies' colic goes away. Abdominal pain no longer torments and there is no need for relief pain. Other babies can nurse until they are two and sometimes three years old. You can start weaning as early as 6-9 months.

Many children at 1.5 years old give up the pacifier on their own, which makes the parent’s life much easier. Don't forget that babies start teething at 6 months. During this period, children suffer from pain, discomfort, and sometimes fever. Therefore, you should not refuse to use a pacifier at this time; it will calm the baby and reduce pain.

But how to wean a child off a pacifier if he refuses to do it on his own? There is a sharp and smooth method of failure. Please note that a harsh method can harm the baby’s psyche.

Gradual or abrupt withdrawal?

Gradual weaning will help avoid stress for the baby. The drastic way They are used only at the age when the child begins to understand and be aware of actions, which happens at 1.5-2.5 years.

Gradual pacifier abandonment begins after six months. At this time, the pacifier is replaced with other methods of comfort. When the baby is naughty or crying, the baby is not given a pacifier, but is picked up and rocked, applied to the breast, or distracted with games.

If the baby does not calm down without a pacifier, take the pacifier away carefully and discreetly when the baby calms down or falls asleep. Reduce the time you use the pacifier. Create maximum conditions to distract the child. These are games and reading, chewing special teethers during the appearance of the first teeth.

The sharp refusal method is used when children are already 1.5-2 years old. First of all, limit your use of the pacifier. Do not take your pacifier for walks or use your pacifier during the day. Give only at night before bed. By the way, the famous pediatrician Komarovsky recommends using a pacifier for fully breastfed children only at night to fall asleep. This will preserve lactation longer.

Don’t forget that you can always explain some phenomenon or action to your child using a game. Organize a farewell to the pacifier in game form. Offer your child a gift or surprise for refusing the pacifier. Tell various legends that the pacifier was lost or the pacifier was stolen by the dog. Or you can simply give a pacifier to a mouse.

• Talk and play with your baby during the day. Reduce the frequency and time of pacifier use daytime;
• From 6-7 months, teach your baby to drink from a cup. How earlier baby learns to swallow, the sooner he says goodbye to the pacifier and bottle;
• After 7 months, give the pacifier only at night when the baby should be falling asleep. During the day, especially during walks, remove the pacifier so that the baby does not see it;
• During weaning, you should not smear the pacifier with bitter substances (mustard, garlic, etc.). By the way, many mothers use similar method and smear the nipples with bitter compounds. But this is also not recommended! This is a lot of stress for infant. In addition, such substances can cause allergies in the baby. How and when to wean your baby, read here /;
• Do not cut the pacifier into pieces, as many people advise. This is unsafe as the baby may bite off and swallow some of the latex or other material from which the pacifier is made. You can carefully cut off the tip of the product. to create discomfort when sucking. However, the mother must carefully monitor the process, as uneven edges can injure the tongue!;
• Don't yell at your baby, because he doesn't understand why mom or dad is angry. This will lead to stress and even greater whims;
• Do not deprive your baby of a pacifier during illness, feeling unwell and during teething. Don't forget that a pacifier eases cramps and distracts you from pain. It will speed up the healing process;

• Regularly distract your child from the pacifier with various games and conversations. This process will take about two months. However, if you start the process at 7-8 months, then by the age of one year the child will easily do without a pacifier;
• When artificial or mixed feeding, do not use bottles. Then it is easier to give up the pacifier. Bottles are addictive and make feeding easier. Therefore, in the future, the child often does not take the breast. Instead of bottles, use a syringe and a teaspoon, and after six months - a cup. Read more about the rules of supplementary feeding and mixed feeding read;
• Today, special silicone plates are produced that promote weaning from the pacifier. In addition, such devices improve speech and strengthen muscles. oral cavity and eliminate bite defects;
• If a child under one year old cries without a pacifier for two or three weeks, he is not yet ready to part with the pacifier. Postpone weaning for a while.

Some parents do not attach importance to the use of a pacifier and delay the process of abandonment. That’s why babies continue to use a pacifier at 2 and 3 years old. Remember that too much sucking will lead to malocclusion and problems in the jaw structure!

However, at 2-3 years old it is much easier to explain to a child that he cannot use a pacifier. IN in this case They use a sharp refusal method, not giving the baby a pacifier even at night. Soothe your baby yourself with fairy tales and rocking. Regularly explain to your child that he is an adult and does not need a pacifier. Sometimes you just have to go through one or two tantrums of a baby without a pacifier, and he will no longer remember his favorite habit.

A baby is not only a joy for parents, but also a lot of troubles that occupy everything free time. Feeding, entertaining, telling a story before bed - all these are standard responsibilities of every parent, but when to wean a child off a pacifier is not such a simple question. After all, for him this thing is the most interesting and calming. Thanks to the pacifier, parents can rest for at least 5 minutes and then meet the needs of their child with renewed vigor.

Why does a baby get used to a pacifier?

A newborn has several reflexes, the main one of which is sucking. In fact, it is because of him that the baby can develop normally in the future.

Some babies calm down when they are put to the breast, so they can do quite calmly without a pacifier. But there are also babies who do not know how to control the reflex and put anything in their mouth if there is no pacifier there. With such restless kids, parents have much more trouble, because the chances of introducing an infection into small organism big enough.

There are often situations when it is necessary to wean a child off a pacifier, but the child does not agree to this. Doctors presented three main problems that make it very difficult to part with your favorite pacifier:

1. Undernourished children. This category includes babies who, from birth, lacked breastfeeding or had no breastfeeding at all. Because of this sucking reflex cannot be satisfied naturally, and the craving for the “subject of sucking” becomes more and more.
2. "Flukes." Behind Lately only 3-4% of such individuals were found. In fact, such children are special because they experience the world through the senses of taste. They like to put toys, paper and any other objects in their mouth - this is their natural need, which must be satisfied.
3. Survivors of trauma. If the baby has experienced a long-term illness, then he may become quite attached to the pacifier, because it did not soothe him in the most difficult times. Therefore, even after recovery, the pacifier remains the child’s best and most faithful friend.

In general, the baby gets used to the pacifier various reasons, but at what time to wean a child off a pacifier - every parent should understand this on their own.

Is a pacifier harmful?

As already mentioned, not all parents can easily wean their child off the pacifier. Therefore, the question arises: “Is it necessary to wean a child off a pacifier and does it cause harm?” Overly caring mothers are afraid that in the future the child will have problems with speech and he will not be able to pronounce all the letters of the alphabet correctly. In addition, there is also another precaution, which is the growth of ugly and crooked teeth, which, according to parents, will be facilitated by a pacifier constantly in the mouth.

In fact, doctors do not confirm these theories, although there is another precaution - children accustomed to a pacifier are not at all interested in the world around them, so they can grow up withdrawn and less sociable than other children.

The theory about crookedness is, of course, not true, but the bite can quickly deteriorate. Therefore, doctors recommend weaning the child not only from the pacifier, but also from the fingers, which children often suck, replacing the selected pacifier.

What is forbidden to do during the weaning process

Not only young, but also experienced mothers can make a lot of mistakes during weaning. Therefore, before you understand at what age to wean your child off a pacifier, you should find out what not to do:

• spoil the pacifier (parents often try to cut the pacifier, bend it, hold it on fire, etc. All this is done so that the child finds it unpleasant to suck on it and he weanes himself from it. But few people think that the child may accidentally bite off a piece of the spoiled calming object, which is quite easy to do, and swallow it);
• lubricate the pacifier food additives(more worst method weaning - lubricating the pacifier with mustard, pepper or salt). Here from love to to your own baby there can't even be any talk. After all, not every adult can tolerate such supplements. Moreover, a small organism is not adapted to such tastes. As a result, the child will experience dysfunction of taste buds, throat spasm and swelling. And lubrication with sweet additives will ruin your teeth and only cause an even greater craving for a pacifier);
• shout at the baby (if the child cannot calm down and demands his pacifier, then you should not raise your voice at him. After all, the child feels the anger of the parents and begins to be capricious even more);
• wean during illness (when the baby suffers from an illness or begins to cut teeth, a pacifier - universal method help. During such periods, it is strictly forbidden to limit the child to a pacifier, because this can lead to irreversible consequences).

If there is a relapse

Weaning off a pacifier is a rather difficult process, so you need to know all the nuances so as not to harm the baby. Many parents have already decided for themselves when to wean their child off the pacifier, but not all of them have considered possible complications, often appearing after successful weaning.

Most frequent cases- the child behaves calmly for the next couple of days, and then again begins to demand his friend. Wherein psychological condition worsens, and the child’s persistence becomes stronger. If he does not stop getting irritated without a pacifier for 10 days, then you need to buy a new one and after a while repeat the weaning.

When do you need to give up your pacifier as an emergency?

Despite the fact that parents, with the help of doctors, determined exact date When weaning a child off a pacifier, emergency situations may arise.

In these situations there is no need to wait" the right day", you will have to act quickly and as efficiently as possible. For example, an already quite old baby does not want to let the pacifier out of his mouth and is very irritated when he loses it, then you should act immediately:

1. Explain the situation. Without swearing or laughing, it is necessary to tell the child in a calm tone that the pacifier harms his teeth, does not allow him to speak normally, and so on.
2. Accidentally forget the “sedative” at home and the whole family goes, for example, to visit relatives or friends. In this case, the child will have to come to terms with the loss, because he will not have the opportunity to go home and take it with him.
3. Cut off a small part of the nipple (but so that the baby cannot bite off a piece and swallow), and then in a comic form explain who and how spoiled it.

Best time to wean

Most the right time When to wean a child off a pacifier, parents often decide on their own or consult a doctor. If there are no emergency situations, then the process can be started at any time, but this should be done smoothly, without causing harm to the still unformed nervous system.

Weaning before 2 years of age

The period when it is better to wean a child off a pacifier begins at 2 months. From this moment until six months, he develops the first signs of complete readiness to refuse. Most the best option- get rid of the pacifier before 6 months, which will ensure the absence of multiple unnecessary problems. By adhering to a few simple rules, you will see that weaning will go quickly and successfully:

1. If a sedative is required only when it is in full view of the child, then the weaning process can begin immediately.
2. You can replace the pacifier with rocking motions, songs, fairy tales or any other actions that will soothe the same way as the pacifier previously did.

During the period from 6 months to one year, energy overflows, so if the pacifier is deprived, all actions will be aimed at returning it.

To avoid troubles and worsening the situation, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. During this period, drinking from a special baby cup will help you forget sucking skills, and you can also start feeding not from a bottle, but giving food on plates.
2. Giving a pacifier is allowed only at the request of the child himself; you should not just show it.
3. Frequent games and walks will keep your baby occupied and he will forget about the need for a pacifier in his mouth. Interesting and educational toys can even help ensure that the pacifier is transferred from children's hands to adults without any resistance.

If the baby has already celebrated his first full birthday and is one year old, then you shouldn’t be upset. This period is also favorable for weaning, but you will have to put in more effort.

Parents must understand that it was they who showed their child the pacifier, but the baby trusts these people the most and during the weaning period he cannot understand why suddenly he best friend began to spend less time with him and why he became so harmful.

After 2 years

Sometimes it happens that weaning off the pacifier did not work out as quickly as necessary. Weaning a child off a pacifier after two years of age is not always easy. Most easy way- This is a common conversation in which it is necessary to mention the need to leave the pacifier in a playful way. If this option does not bring success, then you can regularly reduce the time the pacifier is in the mouth. This will take more time, but the result will be successful.

Family help

How and at what age to wean a child off a pacifier has already been said above. But these methods may not be enough if the whole family does not participate in the process. Each family member invests something of their own in the development of the child, which will help him develop further. Therefore, weaning off the pacifier should take place with the participation of the whole family, in compliance with all the rules.

Recommendations and tips professional psychologists will help in those moments when it is necessary to wean the child off the pacifier. For example, a child demanding a pacifier while in an active state means that his cerebral cortex is tense and urgently needs relaxation. Therefore, a pacifier will interfere with remembering information. In such situations, you need to distract him from the calming object as quickly as possible and begin to explore the world together with the baby.

Not all parents know when to wean their child off the pacifier, so they ask other mothers who have already gone through this difficult period. Some managed not to even get used to the pacifier, so such children could control it themselves and refuse it. Others advise starting the weaning process at 5 months, because it is at this age that the sucking reflex itself begins to fade away. The main thing here is not to miss the moment. Parents also note that it is necessary to distinguish between the baby’s crying and screams when he needs a sedative or is simply in pain. After all, a pacifier often distracts a child from pain, but then health problems arise, which are very difficult to get rid of.

In order for the baby to grow healthy and less capricious, it is necessary to spend more time with him. Then his development will strive upward, together with his parents he will make discoveries and grow up to be a full-fledged and interesting person.

Wean off the pacifier- 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 a pacifier means for a newborn, how and why dependence on it occurs.

Pacifier for newborn- the main calming item. 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 whole digestive system to eating after birth. Sucking is a process that calms the baby, takes his time and even allows him to learn about a new world for him. This is a familiar and sometimes the only way a child knows to cope with the stress of the world around him. Thanks to its calming properties, a pacifier allows the baby to quickly distract from some irritant, feel a certain security, calm down and fall asleep faster. This is why babies more often require a pacifier in the evenings and when they are tired. A baby's pacifier is associated with pleasant reassurance, so dependence on it develops very quickly and firmly.

How to wean a child off a pacifier

How to wean a child off a pacifier, no one will give you specific 100% instructions. Each mother finds her own way out of this situation, knowing the habits and character of her baby, she herself decides how when to wean off the pacifier. Most children are ready to wean off a pacifier at about 1.5-2 years of age. But some can be easily weaned as early as 1 year, while others stubbornly refuse to give up the pacifier even at 3 years. As a rule, parents themselves feel whether 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 child’s psyche.

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

Gradual method of weaning off the pacifier:
It is less traumatic for the baby and can be used at any age. It is advisable to start at 6-9 months. Still, don't expect it to be easy. But we all know that raising children in general is not easy.

Don't give your baby a pacifier every time he cries. Offer other ways to calm him down: feed him, rock him, cuddle him, distract him with play. Don't allow your baby to suck on a pacifier unnecessarily, and try to only give a pacifier when your baby really feels uncomfortable and needs reassurance. As soon as you see that the child has calmed down, is distracted or has fallen asleep, quietly take out the pacifier - he won’t even notice it. Do this as often as possible, remove the pacifier at the first opportunity, and the time spent without “her dear one” will increase. The baby will gradually get used to it and will begin to lose interest in the pacifier during active pastimes.

Abrupt weaning from the pacifier:
This method is suitable only for older children who are already beginning to consciously control their actions and actions.

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

Here are some tips on how to wean a child aged 1.5-3 years from a pacifier:

Gradually begin to limit the use of the pacifier: do not take it with you outside, do not allow sucking while bathing 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 in a few days or a week the night fairy will come, take the pacifier, and in return leave the baby a gift. This way, the baby will get used to the idea that he will soon have to say goodbye to the pacifier, but he will have time to get used to this idea, and the consolation of a gift.

You shouldn’t scold your baby for sucking a pacifier, but be sure to praise him when he doesn’t suck. for a long time In general, during weaning, try not to scold or punish the child.

Try to start weaning off the pacifier at a time when there are no plans to introduce other changes in his life, for example, potty training, admission to school. kindergarten, moving to the country, etc.

Be consistent and persistent in your actions. If you have already decided to wean your child off the pacifier, then wean him and do not cut yourself or him any slack. Of course, there will be whims, and perhaps hysterics, and sleepless nights. As much as you may feel like giving up at times, be patient and persistent. The more consistently you adhere to the rules, the faster baby will get used to doing without a pacifier.

Since an older child usually asks for a pacifier when he is 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 crib after putting him to bed, but read a book to him, give him his favorite toy, or just hold his hand.

Don't let your child get bored. Try to occupy all your baby’s free time with games, reading, drawing, so that the child forgets about the pacifier. Go for walks, invite friends to visit your baby. When a child asks for a pacifier, try to distract his attention with some kind of substitute for his mouth: give him an apple or something else “long-lasting” to chew, drink juice or milk from a straw, play musical instruments(pipe, whistle), blow bubble or sing a song together, recite a rhyme in chorus.

Puncture a small hole in the pacifier or cut off the tip, the baby will no longer be so comfortable sucking 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 your child off the pacifier for six months and there is no result, then abrupt weaning will be easier.

Harm from pacifiers

It is believed that prolonged pacifier sucking can lead to malocclusion and crooked teeth. In fact, only a very small number of babies develop bite problems, and permanent teeth, which begin to grow after six years, are not affected by the pacifier at all. Sucking both a pacifier and a finger is equally harmful to the bite, but it is easier to wean a child off a pacifier than from thumb sucking.

One of the factors that determines the possible occurrence of problems in the oral cavity is the intensity of sucking on a pacifier or finger. Children who simply hold a finger or pacifier in their mouth are less likely to have a malocclusion than children who literally suck hard and for a long time on a pacifier or finger. When you take the pacifier out of your mouth intensely sucking baby, a sound similar to pulling a cork out of a bottle is often clearly heard. Such children may develop curvature. In this case, you should consult your dentist and try to stop using the pacifier as quickly as possible.

If you use a pacifier, never dip it in honey or syrup. Not only is this harmful to the teeth, this custom also strengthens the child’s attachment to the pacifier.

Emergency cases when you need to wean your child from sucking a pacifier as quickly as possible:

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

Baby pacifier plays big role– with her he calms down, falls asleep easily, and realizes his sucking reflex. However, at one point parents will have to wean the baby from this subject.

When should you start and how to do it correctly so that separation does not cause psychological trauma to kid?

Pacifiers help babies calm down by reminding them prenatal period when they sucked their fingers. It is not surprising that a bad habit forms very quickly, but weaning from a pacifier becomes a truly serious test for the whole family.

When should you wean off the pacifier?

There is no exact answer to this popular question. The time of weaning must be selected individually, since children differ from each other in their physiological and mental development.

Pick up optimal age Only a mother who is constantly with the child can do this.

Some babies refuse the pacifier at 6-7 months, when parents begin introducing the first solid foods. Most often, children part with this childhood attribute at one and a half years old without much tears or suffering. But sometimes mothers have no idea how to wean a three-year-old child off the pacifier.

The main thing in the weaning process is not to harm the child’s psyche.

Therefore, adults should determine the optimal age based on own feelings, and also select the most The best way failure – gradual or abrupt.

How to wean a child off a pacifier?

When choosing a refusal method, it is better to consult a pediatrician. Recommendations from grandmothers and mothers you know may not be suitable for your baby.

Psychologists name two main methods for weaning children from this seemingly harmless subject:

• Smooth weaning - more suitable for babies from six months to one and a half years, lasts up to eight weeks, depending on the type of temperament and other characteristics of the baby.
• Abrupt refusal is the best way for children aged 1.5 years and older; mothers will have to use all their imagination so that the baby can give up his addiction.

Knowing the characteristics of their children, adults can choose a less traumatic method of getting rid of the habit, but they should not delay solving the problem.

Of course, a child will not go to school with a pacifier, but this will require a lot of effort from adults. The main thing is not to turn the process into an uncompromising struggle and not to put pressure on the baby.

Rules of disposal - weaning off the pacifier

So, an important role in this process is played by the age of children, their psychological characteristics and reactions to parental actions.

We present several basic rules that should be applied when weaning children from their addiction to the pacifier.

1. Don't yell at your little ones if they refuse to comply with your requests and continue to demonstratively use the item.
2. Try to make the refusal procedure fun to reduce anxiety and relieve your child of stress and resentment.
3. Explain in detail to your older child that at his age it is already possible to give up the pacifier. Show photos of happy children without pacifiers, but be careful when comparing them to peers.
4. Do not use old, time-tested and grandmother-tested methods - lubricating the surface with aloe juice, garlic, hot pepper, mustard. Spices may cause an allergic reaction.
5. Create a daily routine in such a way that the baby is constantly busy - play educational and active games, do physical exercises.
6. Create a special ritual before bed to avoid tantrums during weaning: water procedures, reading a book, light massage etc.
7. Does your child fall asleep with “suckers” in his mouth? Be sure to take it out and place it nearby to avoid sucking in your sleep.
8. Do not cut the pacifier, otherwise the baby will be able to bite off a piece of latex and thereby cause digestive problems.
9. It is strictly forbidden to spoil an object that is important to children in their presence, so as not to cause psychological trauma.

Weaning children under one year old from pacifiers

To get rid of bad habit passed unnoticed, you will need to put in a lot of effort, since babies are quite jealous of their toys.

1. Adopt a smooth weaning technique, showing the pacifier to your baby as little as possible. Then he will quickly forget about her existence.
2. Feed your baby more often so that he does not pull the pacifier into his mouth. Get a relaxing massage and water treatments every day.
3. Before falling asleep, read fairy tales, poems, and various nursery rhymes to your baby. Provide a new “sedative” – a soft teddy bear.
4. Distract a crying baby with some kind of treat, a bright toy: cubes, a pyramid, a car.

This process can last up to two months, but children will be calm and by the age of one year they will have learned to completely do without a pacifier.

How to wean a two-year-old child from sucking a pacifier?

Give up what's popular children's attribute at two years old you can, with the help of exciting and touching story, in which the main character will be a familiar newborn or a neighbor’s baby.

With all your emotion, tell your child that he no longer needs a pacifier, since he has grown up, but tiny babies are really looking forward to a pacifier.

Usually this simple trick works, and the child himself solemnly hands over his favorite item to the other toddler. True, by the evening he may change his mind, demanding “suck” back.

In this case, try to distract your kind and generous baby with a new toy.

If you have not found a suitable candidate to present the treasured pacifier, call on your imagination to help - dogs in the yard and animals from the magical forest are suitable for the role of “receiver”.

Weaning a three-year-old child off a pacifier

By various reasons Using a pacifier can take up to three years. Although this is not considered a developmental disorder, it is necessary to get rid of the unpleasant habit, especially if the baby will soon go to kindergarten. At this age, the refusal should be sharp, final and irrevocable.

• First, tell your child that he is already big and from now on he will not use a pacifier. The explanation should be brief, clear, and delivered in a calm, confident voice.
• Secondly, try to discreetly lose or throw away the pacifier. After that, tell him that there is nothing to replace it with, and no one will sell a new one to such a big boy or girl. Be sure to buy a tasty treat or a long-awaited toy to help your baby cope with the loss.

So, there are no specific standards specific deadlines and uniform standards that would indicate to parents how many months it is necessary to wean their child off the pacifier.

For example, Dr. Komarovsky is convinced that mothers and fathers begin to wean their children from pacifiers for reasons other than at will, and because of the opinions of the people around him - ah-ah-ah, so big boy(girl), and still with a pacifier.

The choice of method and age of weaning depends entirely on the parents. Only you, dear mothers, can choose necessary words so that the child can get rid of this habit as painlessly as possible.

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15 comment(s) to “”

When the baby is ready, he will give up his favorite pacifier within a day! I don’t see anything wrong with sucking it during night sleep for up to 6 months. In our case, on breast-feeding and this did not affect the amount of milk. But by the age of one year, I think it’s reasonable to eliminate the pacifier due to teething; a pacifier can change correct bite and this is not good. At one year old, the child becomes more conscious and it is quite possible to distract him from the pacifier with a new one. interesting toy, with which he will fall asleep. I see a lot of such “friends” in children's stores - they sing lullabies and help the baby fall asleep. The pacifier is no longer needed here.

I agree with the author that you need to wean off the pacifier gradually, starting with enough early age, and not when the child is already 2-3 years old and walking with a pacifier has simply become a habit; later and abrupt weaning is fraught with stress.

It seems to me that ideally, from the very birth of a child, try not to use the pacifier too much. So that later you don’t have to wean it for a long and painful time. And from the experience of friends, I know that stories about mice (or other animals) that are small and need them more than such a big and good boy/girl are very effective in terms of breaking up with her.

We made it somehow simple. The baby threw the pacifier, I picked it up, hid it and said that the dog took it. And my son somehow forgot about her)))

My son sucked a pacifier only once. Then he simply spat it out. So I was lucky, I didn’t encounter such a problem. I think that if they give a baby a pacifier, then only until the teeth begin to cut. And then it will be more difficult to wean off, and it will not have a very good effect on the teeth. And I don’t understand at all when older children (for example, 2-3 years old) walk around with a pacifier in their mouth.

I weaned my baby in just over a year. It may be a little late, but everything went without any problems. It was already warm outside and we walked a lot. This helped the baby get distracted, and after 3 weeks he completely forgot about his pacifier.

I weaned my baby in just over a year. It may be a little late, but everything went smoothly. It was already warm outside, we walked a lot. This helped the baby to be distracted, and after 3 weeks he already forgot about the pacifier.

We weaned our child quickly and in one go. Our dad is a dentist and took great care of the baby’s bite; he knows a lot of stories when a child is under 2-3 years old.” kind parents“They didn’t take away the pacifier so that the baby wouldn’t cry, and then the baby would suffer. One fine day, we simply spread a little mustard on the pacifier and explained to the child in a playful way that now all his pacifiers will be bitter. After this incident, he didn’t even ask for a pacifier! Switched to a teether.

I have been working with children for a long time and now experienced doctors are of the opinion that it is not necessary to accustom a child to a pacifier. His articulatory apparatus is still developing, and the pacifier slows down this process or disrupts it. To avoid weaning, just don’t teach)

my eldest was a rather excitable child. I calmed down only with a pacifier. Only by almost 2 years were they able to wean him off the pacifier. chance helped. My son bit through and tore off part of one nipple. brought it and said “byaka.” then he took it and threw it away. and he had 2 favorites. I took and cut the second (meaning the last) nipple in the middle. Maxim very soon bit off the pacifier with his teeth and spat out the torn piece. True, he tried to suck this pacifier for a long time, but he spat it out in frustration. He simply didn’t want the other one, and in the end he just fell asleep with it in his fist.

1. I weaned mine off this way, while my son was sleeping, I cut the tops of all the pacifiers. When he demanded “Sonya”, I gave him more and said that “Sonya” was broken; if he wanted, then let him suck on such a broken one. And that’s it, the son somehow calmly accepted this fact. And if it happened, he remembered about the pacifier, I showed him that there were only broken ones and my son calmed down.

   I also think that the best option is not to accustom him to the pacifier at all. While my child was on breastfeeding, there was no need for a pacifier, they didn’t use it. But when we were forced to switch to formula by six months, we were accustomed to a pacifier so that the child could calm down without his mother’s breast. As a result, he weaned himself off the pacifier almost on his own by the age of 2. The sucking reflex finally fades away only by the age of one and a half years. Therefore, until this time, I consider it normal if the child does not part with the pacifier.

   I have two children, neither one nor the other sucked on a pacifier, although I really wanted to teach it)) Up to a year, the pacifier really helps, but then the child becomes a habit and has to be weaned off. I need to wean the smaller one off the bottle soon))

Many mothers are happy to give their baby a pacifier, considering it useful accessory, which helps you fall asleep quickly, stop being capricious and crying, and also get rid of gas. But it happens that the baby becomes so attached to the pacifier that he does not want to be separated from it at an older age. When and why, and most importantly, how to wean your baby from sucking a pacifier?

Why is this necessary?

It should be noted that the opinion about negative impact modern pacifiers have no medical confirmation on the development of a child, his digestion and bite.

But if a child walks with a pacifier almost 24 hours a day, this is wrong. After watching Dr. Komarovsky's program, you will learn when children need to be given a pacifier.

Sucking a pacifier at any age cannot harm a person's health in any way. However, they note psychological impact sucking - children with a pacifier behave more withdrawn.

Typically, pacifiers are weaned off in the following cases:

• If the child sucks it almost all day long.
• If the accessory interferes with the baby’s communication with peers.
• When a child has problems with hearing or speech.
• When the baby turned 3 years old.

There are several reasons why a child should be weaned off a pacifier without fail.

At what age should you wean?

According to the advice of psychologists, weaning should begin at the age of 3-12 months, choosing the most favorable period for this. If the child has not given up the pacifier by the age of one year, the next weaning attempts are made at 1.5-2 years, when it is already possible to come to an agreement with the baby. However, there are no standards indicating when a baby needs to decisively refuse the pacifier. Each case should be approached individually.

What can't you do?

• Lubricate the pacifier with garlic, mustard or other unpleasant-tasting product. Treat your baby's taste buds. In addition, it may be unsafe (there is a risk of developing allergies and swelling of the throat).
• Cut the pacifier like a daisy. If your baby accidentally bites off part of the pacifier, it could pose a risk if it enters the respiratory tract.
• Yell at your child if he demands his favorite pacifier. In this case, the baby does not really understand why the mother was angry, which will turn into even greater whims for you.
• Take away the baby's pacifier when he is sick or has difficulty with the appearance of new teeth.
• Frighten the child with any horrors that could happen if the baby does not give up the pacifier.
• Shame the child and compare with others.

Refusal of the pacifier - important stage in the development of the child, treat the baby with understanding

Gradual failure

In order for a baby to give up sucking a pacifier without any problems, it is most often recommended to remove his attachment gradually. Mom will need:

• Spend more time with the baby, walk more, play with the baby, show something new and interesting so that the baby is captivated by new experiences and does not remember the pacifier.
• Remove the pacifier from the baby's mouth after falling asleep.
• Hide the pacifier from children's eyes during the daytime and do not offer the accessory yourself, giving it only upon request, when the baby remembers the pacifier.
• Give a child over 6 months of age to drink from a cup rather than a bottle.
• Closer to the age of one, teach him to fall asleep while reading a fairy tale without a pacifier.
• Do not take a pacifier for a walk.

Quick Failure

This method is usually used over the age of 1.5 years, when the child can understand the mother’s explanations. You can offer your baby:

• Give a pacifier small child, For example, little brother or a newborn baby from the neighbors. At the same time, tell that pacifiers are always passed on to younger children, emphasizing that the child has grown up, and the baby needs a pacifier more.
• Send to a fish, bunny or other fairy tale character. You can tell a fascinating tale about why the little animal needed a pacifier.
• Exchange the pacifier for another item. For example, instead of a pacifier, you can give a toy that such an independent and large child can play with.

It is important to obtain the child's consent to any of these scenarios. Once you get rid of your pacifier using one of these methods, be prepared for several days of whims. The baby may wake up at night and cry, demanding a pacifier. If the whims do not stop within 10 days and the baby is inconsolable, do not torment the baby, but buy a new pacifier, leaving weaning until a later period. Most children independently part with this accessory by the age of 3.

If you quickly give up your pacifier, be prepared for “stressful” days. Soft failure preferable

Opinion of E. Komarovsky

The famous doctor claims that there are no other ways to wean a baby from a pacifier than pedagogical ones. Parents will have to distract their child and entertain the child. At the same time, it is important that the whole family treats the weaning process equally. If you decide not to give a pacifier, then do not agree to any screams or whims.

By giving in once, parents will give the child a signal that all problems can be solved by crying. It is also important that there is no situation where mom says “no” to the pacifier, but grandma or dad allows it.

Komarovsky claims that parting with a pacifier cannot damage a child’s psyche. And if the child is naughty for several days during the weaning period, this will have more of an impact not on the baby, but on the mother. He also admits that most often people start weaning off pacifiers not because this accessory bothers the mother or baby, but because its use is condemned by others. In most cases, you need to be patient and the child will refuse the pacifier on his own, since the sucking reflex fades over time.

Sometimes it happens that the child himself refuses the pacifier.

For more information about this, see Dr. Komarovsky’s program.

Most often, parents who decide to separate their baby and pacifier will have difficulty getting their child to fall asleep. Best help for them there will be physical fatigue of the baby. The day should be spent as actively as possible, go for a walk before bed, buy the baby, feed it and put it to bed. A child who has spent a lot of energy will quickly fall asleep even without his favorite pacifier. A few such active days - and the baby will completely forget about falling asleep with a pacifier.