How long does it take to wean a child off a pacifier? How to wean a child off a pacifier, when is the best time - advice from a psychologist. way to wean off the pacifier

A small child is not only the all-encompassing joy and boundless happiness of parents, but also a lot of worries and troubles that take up almost all their free time. Feed, put to bed, take a walk, entertain, console - your head is spinning! Therefore, often, in order for the baby to give parents the opportunity to rest a little, they choose an ordinary pacifier, popularly called a pacifier, as an “ally”.

Days and months go by, the child happily puts the pacifier in his mouth day and night, throwing tantrums about its absence, and the mother finally understands: the time has come to wean the child off the pacifier. But how can this be done if the baby actively protests against such a “bad” proposal? Of course, he spent days and nights with her, and now they want to deprive him of such a sweet and pleasant-tasting friend.

And here the real war begins! The mother scolds the child, trying to wean the child off the pacifier, and tells him scary fairy tales: they say, if he doesn’t stop doing this, his teeth will grow as sparse as a fence, and the scary Barmaley will bite him on the nose. But the child “listens and eats,” or rather, sucks, and is not going to end his friendship with the pacifier.

Moreover, he not only hides it under the pillow and in the stroller, but also “steals” the pacifier in the yard from other kids. Seeing this, mothers clutch their heads, but still can’t do anything!

So when should you wean your child off the pacifier so that such problems do not arise? How to do this correctly? What mistakes should not be made during the weaning process, and what tricks, on the contrary, can help mothers on this difficult path? About this and much more in our article today.

Why does pacifier addiction occur?

First, let's figure out why a child becomes so attached to a simple pacifier. The fact is that the sucking reflex is one of the main reflexes of a newborn, which is checked by pediatricians immediately after the baby is born. After all, it is in the sucking reflex that the baby’s further ability to develop correctly and even eat well and with appetite lies!

Most babies satisfy it when they are attached to the breast, and therefore calmly do without a pacifier. But other children cannot control the reflex and begin to behave restlessly, putting into their mouths everything that comes to hand: the edge of a blanket, a toy, and even their own finger, thereby increasing the risk of contracting some nasty infection.

Which babies are the most difficult to wean off the pacifier?

It’s impossible not to mention that category of children whose weaning from pacifiers is not only difficult, but simply impossible! Let's look at them in detail.

"Underfed"

"Flukes"

Let's say right away that there are few such children - somewhere around 2-3%. Their peculiarity is that they taste the world: they put a rattle in their mouth, or a bear’s paw, or a piece of paper. This is not a whim, but a natural need that they satisfy.

"Survivors of Trauma"

After a long illness, the baby may become very attached to the nipple. In difficult times, she calmed him down, so after solving the “problems” she remains a loyal friend to him.

Is a pacifier harmful to a baby?

Some mothers are afraid that a baby who does not part with a pacifier will face speech problems in the future, as he will pronounce letters incorrectly. Also, many of them assume that the child’s teeth will grow crooked and ugly because of this.

What do doctors say about this?

They do not confirm the original theory, but they warn parents about something else: a child accustomed to a pacifier is not very interested in what is happening around him, and therefore can grow up to be a rather reserved person.

Doctors also say that a simple and harmless-looking pacifier can seriously ruin a baby’s bite. Therefore, the mother should wean the child not only from the pacifier, but also from the desire to push his fingers into his mouth and suck them (and this is sometimes much more difficult than fighting the pacifier).

When should weaning start?

As a rule, many children stop sucking a pacifier on their own when they are one or two years old. However, you shouldn’t be happy about this, because it is necessary to wean your baby off the pacifier much earlier: from 3 months to a year.

Moreover, most children are completely ready to part with the pacifier from 3 to 6 months of life, only mothers do not notice this. And, most importantly: during this period, weaning from the pacifier is less traumatic for the child.

Therefore, if you notice that the child has ceased to be actively interested in the pacifier, switching his attention to something more entertaining, but not harmful to his health, support his “decision” and hide the pacifier away.

Four methods of giving up pacifiers

Today, there are several effective ways to wean a child off a pacifier.

Smooth withdrawal: for children up to 1-1.5 years old

Smooth withdrawal involves getting rid of the pacifier over a few weeks.

According to this method, it is necessary:

do not take the pacifier with you outside;
hide the pacifier away during the day;
teach your child to drink from his favorite cup;
keep your child busy with exciting games;
put a favorite toy in the child’s bed so that he feels protected;
You should not leave the room until the baby falls asleep.

After some time, after taking the above measures, the baby will forget about his not so long ago beloved “friend.”

Abrupt refusal: for children aged 1.5 years and older

Abrupt refusal is a way to get rid of the pacifier for babies who already understand their parents well.

For it to work, you must select one of the following options:

solemnly present the pacifier to the newborn baby. Since your child already realizes that he has become an “adult,” it will not be difficult for him to give a girlfriend to a baby who needs her more;
send the pacifier on a long voyage: a small fish or a little gray bunny needs it so much! After all, only a pacifier can protect them from Barmaley in the dark forest;
Throw the pacifier out the window or trash. True, this option is not suitable for all children, but only for the calmest and most flexible ones.

After saying goodbye to the pacifier, you need to give your child something very good, and be sure to note that only independent children play with such valuable toys.

Cancellation within a week - is it possible?

Some mothers share their stories on forums about how to wean their child off a pacifier in just a week.

We cannot help but tell you about this method. However, only practice will show how effective and applicable it is for you.

Action plan:

Give your child a pacifier for 5 days, 2 times less than usual (not for 30 minutes, but for 15, not for an hour, but for half an hour).
For the next 2-3 days, offer the pacifier only at night. In this case, it is better to give it for a few minutes, and then replace it with breasts.

At the same time, do not “push” a pacifier into the child’s mouth just like that, but only when he really needs it.

STOPPI for children from two years old

Modern medicine has come up with another effective way of weaning off the pacifier, which is simply called “STOPPI”. This is a special orthodontic plate that must be given to the child instead of a pacifier.

Manufacturers claim that just a few weeks of using this plate can wean your baby off the pacifier forever (the use of “traditional” pacifiers during this period is not allowed).

A small disadvantage of “Stoppie” is that it can only be purchased in pharmacies, and it is only suitable for older children (2 years of age or older).

All children are different, and therefore there is no single recipe for weaning a child from a pacifier. However, thanks to the observation of mothers and the experience of doctors, this is much easier to do today than 50 years ago.

So, general advice on this matter would be:

Don't force a pacifier if you don't need it

If your child feels wonderful without a pacifier from the first days of life, does not put his finger in his mouth and falls asleep well, you should not impose it on your baby at all.

Communication is the mother of unlearning

If you communicate with your baby throughout the day, demonstrating the beauty of the world around you and its features, he simply will not have time left for friendship with the pacifier.

Drinking is not harmful to health

If you teach your baby to drink from a mug around six months, he will quickly master the swallowing reflex and lose the need for bottles and pacifiers.

Bedtime story - problem solving

If you tell your child fairy tales before bed, then by the age of one year the pacifier can be replaced with a whole series of exciting stories.

Daytime games are so much fun!

If a child plays with blocks and pyramids throughout the day, he will not be distracted by simple sucking.

Out of sight, out of mind

If you yourself do not persistently offer the pacifier to your child and begin to remind him of its existence, he may well forget about it in a couple of days.

What should you not do during the weaning process?

Some mothers make a lot of unforgivable mistakes on the way to getting rid of the pacifier. So, what should you not do during the weaning process?

Damage the pacifier

Under no circumstances should the pacifier be cut. Imagine what will happen if the baby takes a bite from this “chamomile”? It will either get into his stomach or cause a spasm in his throat.

Lubricate it with food preparations

Do not put mustard on the pacifier. Not every adult can withstand this “muck” in their mouth, let alone a small child! Plus, it’s not entirely safe, since mustard causes swelling and spasms in the throat in children.

Also, under no circumstances should you put syrup on your pacifier, since sweets not only damage your teeth, but are also highly addictive.

Yell at a child

Under no circumstances should you yell at your baby if he insists on asking for a pacifier. The child does not understand why his mother is so angry with him and begins to be even more mischievous.

Start weaning while sick

Finally, do not deprive your baby or begin the weaning process of a pacifier when he is sick or teething.

What to do in case of a “relapse”?

When you get rid of the pacifier, be prepared for the fact that the child may be naughty for several days and miss his “girlfriend” again. Perhaps he will even wake up at night and demand that she be returned “to her homeland.”

If the whims continue for a very long time (more than 10 days), and you notice that the baby’s psychological state is becoming restless, just buy the child a new pacifier and after a while repeat the “weaning” procedure.

Don’t be afraid that your child will live with a pacifier until retirement: almost all children by the age of 3 completely forget about the pacifier.

In what cases is emergency pacifier withdrawal necessary?

Excessive attachment to the pacifier

Sometimes it happens that a fairly adult baby does not let go of the pacifier from his mouth: day and night he chews on it and screams loudly if he suddenly loses the pacifier somewhere. In this case, an emergency response is necessary: you should not wait for the “suitable” period, it is better to start weaning right now.

So, how to act if time is lost, but something still needs to be done?

Explain the situation

Tell your child what harm the pacifier does to him: it spoils his teeth, interferes with talking, makes him drool... Anything, just so that the baby understands you! Just don’t scold him or laugh at him by pointing your finger at the child.

"Lose" the pacifier

Hide the pacifier. Yes, it’s as simple as that – put it out of sight and that’s it. Go visit your grandmother and leave her at home. Won't the baby run after her through forests and fields?

“Spoil” the pacifier

Cut off most of the nipple (just don't cut it all!). The baby, having taken the “Lala” in his mouth, will spit out the pacifier in bewilderment: why did it become so full of holes? If the child asks about what happened, explain: a big bear came from the forest, wanted to try the pacifier, but accidentally bit it off.

Hearing or speech defects

Also, you should not wait for the moment when the baby solemnly puts the pacifier in your hand and refuses it if he has problems with hearing or speech.

It is better to solve the problem once and for all, enduring a river of tears and a week of sleepless nights, than to later reap the fruits of your “compassionate” maternal labor.

Summing up

Weaning your baby off the pacifier is that easy. Some 1-year-old children easily find new interests and forget about the pacifier after a week or two, while others are still looking for a pacifier months later, throwing regular tantrums at their parents.

Therefore, the age at which you will wean your child off the pacifier is individual not only for each baby, but also for each family. Even cultural values and traditions play a big role in this: if in Italy a four-year-old child with a pacifier in his mouth will not surprise anyone, here in Russia they will look askance at his mother.

However, when thinking about how to wean your child off a pacifier, you must remember: you should not rely on the advice of neighbors and relatives in this matter. It’s better to do everything so carefully and correctly that the baby will give up the pacifier on his own and feel just amazing!

An awake or sleeping baby with a pacifier in his mouth is a familiar and natural picture. By calming the baby, the pacifier gives the mother a few free minutes or hours to rest and do her own things. However, time passes, the baby grows up, many of his peers can no longer do without a pacifier - which means it’s time to wean him from this habit. How to do this?

Sucking is one of the most important unconditioned reflexes of a newborn; When he is born, he already knows how to suck, because he learned this in his mother’s womb, sucking his own fingers. Thanks to this reflex, the child does not die of hunger: after all, within a few hours after birth, he sucks milk from the mother’s breast.

The sucking process always evokes positive emotions in the baby, calms, relaxes and even relieves stress. Therefore, a pacifier is given to a crying baby or a baby who has not fallen asleep for a long time, wanting to relieve excitement and help him fall asleep.

If you do not give a pacifier to a newborn baby, in moments of irritation, excitement or when painful sensations arise, he will most likely begin to suck his fingers - after all, other ways to calm down are still unfamiliar and inaccessible to him. And since the baby always has his fingers, unlike the pacifier, with him, it is much more difficult to wean him off from finger sucking than from pacifiers.

Why wean your child off a pacifier?

For many children, sucking on a pacifier helps them fall asleep.

In addition to the positive effect of calming the child, using a pacifier has a number of negative aspects:

Dentists confidently claim that constant active sucking of a pacifier affects the formation of a child’s bite, and does not affect it for the better. The bite may become incorrect, and its correction in the future will cost a lot of work and effort (and money, by the way). Now special nipples “with a bite” are produced, and you need to buy them. The teeth themselves, contrary to parents’ beliefs, are not damaged by pacifiers.
The sucking reflex is reduced if a small (up to 1 month) child constantly has a pacifier in his mouth. He gets tired of sucking, and when the mother puts the baby to the breast, he simply does not have the strength to eat, although he is hungry.
Children under 3 months, if they do not just hold the pacifier in their mouth, but actively suck on it, can swallow air. Air bubbles cause bloating and... The baby begins to cry; the mother is perplexed and gives him a pacifier again - a vicious circle.
It is very difficult to comply with hygiene requirements when using a pacifier. The baby quite often drops it on the floor. The pacifier should also be scalded with boiling water; but, unfortunately, very few mothers and grandmothers do this. In the best case, they simply rinse the pacifier (sometimes under the tap), in the worst case, they lick it and put it in the child’s mouth, and with it a bunch of microbes from their own oral cavity. Then the mother is sincerely surprised: where did the baby get stomatitis?
Finally, it has been proven that prolonged pacifier sucking inhibits a child’s psychomotor development. The baby later begins to walk and talk, because his mouth is busy with the pacifier - how can he learn to make sounds? It is more difficult to explain the delay in motor development, but, apparently, excessive development of the sucking reflex prevents the formation of motor skills. And indeed: the child is calm, pacified by sucking - why move, try to roll over, take a toy? After all, it’s so good...

From what has been said, it is clear that the baby needs to be weaned off the pacifier; Children rarely refuse pacifiers on their own initiative.

When should you do this?

Typically, parents begin to wean their babies off the pacifier shortly after one year of age. However, psychologists believe that it is better to carry out this procedure from 3 months to 1 year, until the baby has developed excessive attachment to the pacifier and the psychological trauma is not so strong.

If the baby can calmly fall asleep without a pacifier and remembers it only when it catches his eye, this is a sign that gradual weaning can begin.

How NOT to wean yourself off a pacifier

There are a number of barbaric, unpleasant or painful methods for the child that parents try to use in the process of weaning off the pacifier. Using these methods is strictly not recommended.

So, you can't:

smear the pacifier with mustard, vodka, pepper and other bitter products. After such trouble, a child will throw away the pacifier, but psychological stress can be very strong, and its consequences can be unpredictable.
Scolding the child and shouting at him, proving that the pacifier is bad. A pacifier for him is a friend who brings peace and tranquility, how can it be bad? Misunderstanding and negative emotions arise.
Try to give the baby a pacifier by first cutting it and ruffling it. Sucking on such a pacifier is, of course, unpleasant and inconvenient, but there is a danger that the child may choke or suffocate by swallowing or inhaling a torn piece of latex.
Scare the baby by making up various horror stories about the pacifier. In this way you can create neurosis in the child.
Teasing or deceiving a child are also unworthy methods; they can violate the baby's trusting relationship with his mother.

You can wean your child off the pacifier in much more humane ways.

You should wean your child off the pacifier gently to avoid psychological stress.

If your child doesn't ask for a pacifier, don't offer it to him.
Provide your baby with a sufficient number of toys in the playpen (in the crib) so that while playing with toys he forgets about the pacifier.
Do not give your child water or food if he already knows how to drink from a cup or sippy cup. Having weaned himself off the bottle and pacifier, he will quickly wean himself off the pacifier.
If possible, wean your baby off the pacifier gradually, rather than abruptly, all at once (although there are situations when you have to do just that).
When giving your baby a pacifier, never dip it in honey or sugar syrup. Sweetness significantly increases the baby's attachment to the pacifier and, in addition, leads to.

How to do it?

Only with love and patience.

Gradual, slow weaning

This method can be used for a child of any age. Its essence comes down to the fact that if the baby is restless, do not immediately put a pacifier in his mouth, but figure out the reason for the crying.

Maybe the child is hungry or thirsty, or his diaper is wet, or he is hot (cold). This means you need to feed him, or give him water, or change his diaper, or change his clothes. The cause of anxiety may also be the desire to sleep - put the baby to bed, sing him a lullaby, sit next to the crib. A child can be capricious simply from lack of attention - which means you need to play with him, show him toys, hold him in your arms.

Only when a well-fed, dressed baby clearly wants to, but cannot fall asleep despite your attempts to rock him to sleep, give him a pacifier. And when he falls asleep, slowly remove it. Do this every time, and gradually the baby will begin to demand the pacifier less and less.

Quick weaning

But quick weaning from a pacifier is applicable only to children over one and a half years old who already well understand the speech addressed to them.

The main thing in this method is to come up with a playful reason why the child should refuse the pacifier. I personally once suggested to my 1.5-year-old daughter that she throw a pacifier out of the window. My daughter did this with interest and pleasure, the pacifier flew away from the 4th floor, and when it was time to go to bed, the baby became capricious. But I reminded her that we threw away the pacifier together because it had become old and unusable. And now the dogs have probably dragged her away to their little puppies. The trick worked, my daughter turned over and fell asleep.

In the same way, you can throw a pacifier during a walk into a river or sea, throw it out of a car window, etc., as long as the child realizes that it will not be possible to return the pacifier.

You can break (cut) the pacifier, and then show it to the baby, explaining that the pacifier has “worn out”, is no longer suitable, and the only thing left to do is throw it away. The child does not yet know that you can buy a new thing, and if you are convincing enough, he will agree with you.

For children 2-3 years old who still have not parted with the pacifier, you can come up with a fairy tale that a kind wizard (fairy, Santa Claus, etc.) takes away the pacifiers of such big children and brings a beautiful toy in return. But to do this, you don’t need to fall asleep with a pacifier in your mouth, but put it under your pillow (under the Christmas tree, wherever you can think of). If the child agrees to this and falls asleep without a pacifier, work as a magician and replace the pacifier with a pre-purchased gift.

In short, in quick weaning everything depends on parental imagination and persuasiveness.

When the pacifier is removed from the house, make sure that the child does not remember it. Keep his attention. Buy several new toys, play with your baby yourself more often, walk with him longer than usual so that a tired baby goes to bed without thinking about the pacifier.

If the pacifier does come up in conversation, praise the baby for doing without it - it means he has become very big.

To make it easier to fall asleep, you can offer your child to take a soft toy to bed, citing the fact that a bear or a bunny “gets bored” in a box at night, he also wants to sleep in a crib, but he doesn’t have his own...

Have you already understood everything? Use your imagination and distract by any means.

When do you urgently need to wean yourself off the pacifier?

There are a number of situations when a child needs to be weaned off a pacifier urgently:

if the child is 3 years old and still cannot live without a pacifier;
if the baby sucks a pacifier constantly, during sleep and wakefulness;
if a neurologist told you that the child is developmentally delayed due to not being weaned off the pacifier;
if a child has a hearing or speech pathology.

In this case, you can use all the “fairytale” methods described above, and if they do not help, nevertheless remove the pacifier from the house (say that it is lost) and patiently endure all the tears and even hysterics.

The Stoppi silicone orthodontic plate, which can be purchased at a pharmacy, can help you. Outwardly, it even looks like a pacifier, but is designed to treat open bites. At first, the child may be reluctant to put it in his mouth, but after a few weeks the pacifier will be forgotten, and the “Stopi” plate will no longer be needed.

Summary for parents

Try to wean your baby off the pacifier as early as possible, but do it gently, never rudely, using all your patience and love for the child. If you cannot solve the problem yourself, contact a neurologist. Remember that in this case the child’s health depends on you.

The Ranok channel also talks about how to wean a child off a pacifier:

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, find half an hour to cook dinner or drink a cup of tea. And yet, when should adults wean a child off a pacifier and how to do it correctly?

In a newborn, 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 the baby’s nutrition. However, it begins to play a secondary role as the child grows up.

It is important not to miss this moment so that the pacifier does not lead to malocclusion and delayed speech development of the baby.

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

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

At what age should you wean off the pacifier?

Only you can decide when and how to rid your child 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 wait two or three days, he will not remember that he once had a pacifier. But some parents miss such an important deadline, while others cannot stand the children’s tears and return it to the baby.

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

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

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

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

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

How to wean your baby off the pacifier?

So, you have decided to rid your child of a not very pleasant habit. All that remains is to choose the most suitable method for this.

For younger children, gradual withdrawal is more suitable, and for older children, you should choose the so-called instantaneous method. Be mentally prepared for whims, bitter tears and plaintive children's eyes.

Patient method: for children under one year old

Psychologists are sure that the sooner you wean your child off this addiction, the less you will waste your and your child’s nerves. Follow these guidelines:

Show your pacifier as little as possible. If the baby is crying, try to distract him with a treat, playing with blocks, a pyramid, or take him in your arms. Gradually, the pacifier will become less attractive to your child than before.
Three to four weeks before the start of weaning, you should come up with new rituals for falling asleep. Sing lullabies, read nursery rhymes and short poems, stroke your back and tummy. Find another "soothe" option - for example, a teddy bear.
From seven to eight months, teach your child to drink from a mug. The bottle, and therefore the nipple, will disappear much faster if children learn to swallow.

Abrupt refusal: for children from one to three years old

Your son is already two years old, and he still won’t part with his pacifier? Using this method, your child will very quickly get rid of this habit, but you will need remarkable imagination, tactics and endurance.

It's no secret that children at this age willingly believe in fairy tales. Tell us that during your walk, cunning squirrels, dogs, and cats “stole” the pacifier right from under your nose. Or put it in a parcel and “send” it to a magical grove where small animals live.
Try to “lose” her on the street or “forget her at a party.” Some children react quite calmly, while in others this technique causes a terrible attack of hysteria. In this case, the pacifier should be returned to its place.
If the pacifier tears or breaks, there is no need to immediately rush to the pharmacy. Sympathize with the baby and tell him that they will no longer sell new pacifiers for such adult children.
The Tooth Fairy's cousin, the Dummy Witch, lives in the USA and Canada. She takes away the unnecessary item, and in return gives a beautifully packaged toy that the child recently picked up in the store.
By the age of two, your offspring is already chewing food quite actively. Therefore, replace the formula bottle with complete solid foods.

What not to do when weaning off a pacifier

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

do not cut the pacifier, because the baby can swallow a piece of latex, which, if it does not block the throat, will end up in the stomach;
do not scold and especially do not hit the hands if the baby reaches for the pacifier;
do not tell creepy stories about the evil Babayka, who drags children sucking a bottle into the forest;
do not tie weaning to other serious events (mom going to work, teething, using the potty, moving, adaptation to a nursery or kindergarten, illness);
avoid using grandma’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 your baby off the pacifier, be patient and persistent. Give your child more attention without leaving him alone with this habit.

Weaning a child off a pacifier is a difficult task that requires patience from parents. Sometimes this can take up to 2-4 months, but most babies will wean off the pacifier within 4-6 weeks, with gradual weaning at an appropriate age.

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

The main reason why children quickly become attached to sucking a pacifier is their innate reflexes, primarily sucking. When a baby is born, neonatologists always 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 proceed correctly.

Newborn babies can suck on anything: the tip of a blanket, a pillow, a finger. The latter option is dangerous due to the high probability of infections, so if the baby begins to develop this habit, pediatricians recommend using a pacifier.

The pacifier of the correct anatomical shape reminds the baby of the mother's breast, so children fall asleep well and quickly calm down if they are given a pacifier.

If the baby does not satisfy the need for sucking (for example, during a short feeding), he may put everything into his mouth: from bedding to dirty fingers. To prevent this from happening and for the child to develop harmoniously, doctors advise using a pacifier.

Why a pacifier is dangerous: truth and myths

Statement 1. Babies who suck on a pacifier quickly wean themselves off the breast.

In fact: the technique of sucking a pacifier is different from sucking a mother's breast. In order for the newborn to receive hind milk, rich in vitamins and fats, he must latch onto the breast correctly: open his mouth wide, turning out his lower lip, and grasp not only the nipple, but also the areola.

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

Some women, after introducing a pacifier, cannot establish lactation, and they have to transfer the baby to artificial feeding.

Statement 2. Sucking on a pacifier causes an abnormal bite

In fact: modern dentists deny the connection between pacifier sucking and malocclusion. In some cases, it is true that children who are accustomed to a pacifier later begin to make certain sounds, but a direct relationship with sucking a pacifier has not been proven.

Statement 3. The pacifier is a source of infections

In fact: everything that gets into the baby’s mouth must be perfectly clean (even better, sterile). Toys, teethers and pacifiers should be washed and boiled each time before use.

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

A huge number of bacteria live on street soil, including the tuberculosis bacillus, which are killed only by boiling. Tuberculosis and other infections are dangerous for children in the first year of life and can be fatal!

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

In fact: this is also true. If a baby always has a pacifier in his mouth, he has no desire to stuff anything else in there and there is no point in weaning him off it just yet. Children of the first year of life learn about the environment through touch and taste, so the need to chew something and taste it is physiological and indicates the correct and healthy development of the child.

In this video, Dr. Komarovsky shares advice with moms and dads on how to wean a baby off a pacifier, and what to do if parents are unable to do this.

Why is it difficult to wean children off pacifiers?

About 88% of children have a hard time parting with their pacifier. 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 deceive hunger with the help of a pacifier;
the need for sucking is not sufficiently satisfied;
The baby is teething, and a pacifier helps him more easily survive the pain and discomfort of this period.

Psychological reasons:

With a pacifier, the baby feels more confident and calm, falls asleep faster;
a pacifier for a little person is a “mother substitute”, so parting with it is always painful;
Without a pacifier, the child feels confused and helpless, because he does not know how to cope with his experiences.

To make parting with the pacifier painless, it is necessary to show increased tenderness and love towards the baby, since this stage is very important for him.

When can you safely wean off a pacifier?

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

Pediatricians advise using a pacifier before reaching six months of age, since the sucking reflex of the newborn 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 pacifier, you need to postpone attempts for some time, and then repeat the steps again.

There is also no need to delay weaning from the pacifier too much. By the age of 2, the child should part with the pacifier.

How to wean a child off a pacifier?

Up to 1 year

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

It may take several months, but the baby’s peace of mind and stable emotional state are worth it. How to gradually wean an infant from a pacifier?

When the baby is awake, you need to constantly engage with him: play with blocks, collect pyramids, just walk around the room and look at the surrounding objects. Walking outside is especially useful in this regard. If the child receives a lot of new impressions and positive emotions, the need for a pacifier will gradually decrease.
You should not take a pacifier for a walk. On the street you can show your baby animals, trees, flowers, passing cars, etc. His attention should be constantly occupied with something (if he is not sleeping at this time).
You should not leave your pacifier in a visible place at home. It’s better to put it in the closet and take it out only when it’s really needed.
You need to give your baby a pacifier after satisfying his hunger, so that he does not develop the habit of replacing feeding by sucking on a pacifier. This is harmful to development and can cause eating disorders in older age.
After falling asleep, you should not leave the pacifier in your child’s mouth. It should be carefully removed and left in the crib so that the child does not experience stress if he suddenly wakes up and does not find a familiar object nearby.
You can try reading fairy tales to your baby before 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 nipple problems. The sooner a child learns to drink from a cup, the sooner he will no longer need nipples and bottles.

Weekly weaning plan

1 day. Remove the pacifier during the day, providing the baby with interesting leisure time and the constant presence of the mother.
Day 2. Do not give your baby a pacifier after feeding - it is better to try offering the breast again. Perhaps the child is crying because he has not had enough to eat.
Day 3. If your baby sleeps with a pacifier outside, it's time to give it up. It is advisable to go for a walk while you are awake.
Day 4 The actions of the previous days are repeated so that the child gets used to and adapts to new conditions.
Day 5 Do not give the newborn a pacifier during the day (until he falls asleep).
Day 6 and day 7. Try to put the baby to bed without a pacifier (sing songs, read fairy tales).

Throughout the day, it is necessary to remove the pacifier from the child’s mouth after falling asleep (at night). This is an important stage in the process of weaning a child from a pacifier.

Up to 2-2.5 years

Children at this age are very sentimental, so asking them to give the pacifier to someone younger may be a better option. It’s just important to explain to the baby why this needs to be done, to tell him that he is already big, and Masha from the next apartment is still small, and she doesn’t have a pacifier, so she constantly cries and is sad.

If your child is more receptive to fairy tales, you can tell him about a teddy bear, a cat, or any toy you have at home, and come up with a story asking him to give a pacifier to the hero. Children usually love their toys and willingly take such a step, enjoying the action.

If the baby categorically refuses to part with the pacifier, you should not put pressure on him, shout or ridicule him. This can cause serious psychological trauma, and it will become almost impossible to wean the child off the pacifier (up to 3, and sometimes 4 years).

Over 3 years old

If a child is already 3 years old and still sucks a pacifier, you need to act decisively. At this age, children do not experience a physiological need for a pacifier, so parting with it does not bring much suffering. Abrupt weaning from the pacifier involves complete isolation of the favorite object from the child’s eyes.

The mother needs to talk to the baby and explain to him in a calm voice that from today he will not use a pacifier, since he is already big, 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 a child begins to cry and be capricious, you should not give in and return the pacifier, otherwise he will understand that parents are easy to manipulate, achieving what they want with tears and screaming. This behavior usually goes away after 1-3 days, after which the child completely forgets about the pacifier.

What not to do?

Do not smear the pacifier with mustard or other bitter spices. This can cause spasm of the laryngeal muscles and a severe allergic reaction.
You should not raise your voice at your baby and get angry at him for still sucking his pacifier. The child is not able to understand the reason for his mother’s anger, which will cause fear and increase dependence on sucking.
You should not try to wean yourself off the pacifier during periods of illness, poor health, or teething.
You cannot cut the pacifier. This is extremely dangerous, as pieces of latex or silicone can get into the baby’s throat and cause a suffocation attack!

When is emergency pacifier weaning required?

Abrupt weaning from the pacifier should be used in the following cases:

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

What should I do if my child takes the pacifier again after weaning?

Retraining to suck 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 why the child 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 tone, sorting out relationships and other moments that can frighten the baby.

Important! You cannot swear or scream in the presence of a child. If parents have disagreements, they must be resolved without the child and in a calm tone.

After the cause of the psychological problems has been resolved, you can try weaning off the pacifier using the methods listed above.

Weaning off a pacifier is a difficult process that requires maximum commitment 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, necessary for an easy parting with the pacifier at any age.

A pacifier is a fairly convenient device that can really soothe your baby and help him fall asleep, but it is more convenient for you than for the baby. It is no coincidence that the second name of this item is a pacifier, and its role is to distract the baby from the breast and mother.

The baby quickly gets used to the pacifier and, even after celebrating his first birthday, is in no hurry to part with it. Another question on the agenda is how to wean a child off a pacifier and teach him to calm down without additional means.

Reasons for the habit

The pacifier in children older than one year does not cause any other reaction other than censure. But an interesting thing turns out: you yourself, in order to facilitate the process of falling asleep and prolong sleep time, have offered the baby a pacifier since birth, and now you suddenly decided to take it away, waving a saber and shouting that a pacifier is evil. And the baby is already firmly attached to his rubber toy.

The reasons for this dependence have both physiological and psychological explanations.

Physiology of habit

The baby, still in your tummy, trained the sucking reflex. The first thing he dreams of after being born is to put it into practice and drink plenty of milk. It’s good if you practice breastfeeding and the baby fully satisfies his physiological needs. I talk about how to properly organize breastfeeding in the article Feeding on demand >>>

Another thing is bottle feeding. Then you most likely offered him a pacifier. And lo and behold, the baby calmed down, didn’t cry and quickly fell asleep. The pacifier replaced his breast and gave him, albeit imaginary, a feeling of joy.

This scenario is acceptable only in the first months of life. Already at 6 months, the baby should be taught to eat from a spoon and drink from a cup. The pacifier at this stage is already a psychological addiction.

Psychology of habit

You should know that the baby's sucking reflex weakens gradually, and at the age of one year, a pacifier is not a necessity, but rather a whim and psychological dependence. The pacifier becomes a companion for the child; he takes it with him both on walks and in the crib. Just remember how hysterical a toddler can be if the pacifier is lost and it’s time to go to bed;
Dependence on the pacifier can also appear due to the short time spent together between parents and the child. In this case, it is from the pacifier that the baby seeks reassurance;
A pacifier at two years old is already beyond acceptable. Such an adult baby should openly express his experiences and fears, and not calm down by sucking on a rubber “girlfriend.”

Age-specific habits

As you can see, if you don’t remove it from your baby’s life in time, a pacifier can become your enemy, and not only in terms of psychology, but also physical development. Dentists, therapists, and speech therapists have expressed their concerns.

Thus, dentists are against pacifiers, especially when they see them in the mouths of two-year-old children.

Their arguments:

crooked teeth;
deformation of the entire jaw;
malocclusion with protruding incisors.

In addition, you must understand that in this case it is impossible to guarantee the sterility of the pacifier; the child can take it with dirty hands, let it fall to the floor and easily put it in his mouth. In this way, bacteria and protozoa very easily penetrate the baby’s mouth and then the tummy.

It is easiest to get rid of a bad habit before a year, but after that it will take time and a clear attitude, and after the age of two years, even the help of a psychotherapist is possible.

How to wean a baby from sucking a pacifier before one year of age

A child under the age of one year sucks the pacifier with pleasure, even smacking his lips. For you, this is a signal that the baby is hungry and it’s time to breastfeed;
By the age of six months, it is necessary to reduce the time the pacifier is in the baby’s mouth, giving it only in emergency cases, for example, on the street or at a party;
It is advisable to give the first complementary foods from a spoon or cup, then the baby will no longer associate the pacifier and bottle with food intake, and he himself will refuse them (read an important article on the topic: Introducing pedagogical complementary feeding to a child >>>)

If your baby is bottle-fed, then a pacifier means quite a lot to him. The child drinks the contents of the bottle in a matter of seconds and does not satisfy his sucking reflex.

But this too can be solved. It is enough to purchase a special bottle with valves that complicate the process of milk extraction. The child must work hard, only then will he drink the milk. In this case, he will eat and pump, and the need for a nipple will disappear by itself.

In the question of how to wean a child from sucking a pacifier, it is important to prevent him from perceiving the pacifier as a means of calming. Instead of covering a crying baby's mouth with a pacifier, hold him in your arms one more time, sing him a lullaby, or even read him a fairy tale. The sooner you start acting, the faster and more painlessly the child will refuse the rubber comforter.

How to wean a one-year-old baby from sucking a pacifier

The procedure for weaning a child off a pacifier after one year is lengthy. Psychologists have proven that a habit can be eliminated in no earlier than 21 days. The action plan must be clear and confident.

Determination. You yourself must clearly decide that it is time to give up the pacifier. Even a one-year-old baby is able to recognize your doubts, so in the fight against habits you need clarity and determination;
Subsequence. Once the weaning process has started, you cannot back down, even if the child throws a huge tantrum. Believe me, his cries are enough for no more than three times;
Agility. Your task is to remove the pacifier from the child’s sight. She fell, rolled, covered herself with a toy - all means are good here;
Theatricality. Singing lullabies and reading books at night is an excellent bedtime ritual; the baby will definitely like it, and he will follow the book characters with his mouth open, forgetting about the pacifier (for more information on how to organize the process of going to bed, read the article Bedtime Rituals sleep >>>);
Ingenuity. A pacifier is a companion and friend for a baby, it's time to offer an alternative. Perhaps your child will feel comfortable with a teddy bear or soft doll.

The pacifier itself must be disposed of and the child should not be allowed to find it at home. If the baby finds her again, he will have to start all over again.

How to wean a two-year-old baby from sucking a pacifier

At two years old, there should be no pacifier or bottle around the baby. If you missed the moment when pacifier sucking developed into a bad habit, it’s time to take offensive action.

The first thing you should do is understand that a 2-year-old child does not need a pacifier, and decide how to wean him off the pacifier.

Exchange. For a creative child, the cherished desire method is suitable. Remember how, as a child, you hid a tooth under your pillow, in the hope that the fairy would put a penny in place of the loot. The same plot can be organized with a pacifier. The main thing: make a substitution unnoticed;
Present. A two-year-old toddler considers himself old enough, especially in the company of a baby. It's time to take advantage of the age difference and invite the child to give his pacifier to the baby, because he needs it more, he is small and often cries;
Spending time together. If, instead of a pacifier, you invite your child to fall asleep together, then, believe me, he will definitely like this arrangement;
Disposal. A favorite pacifier, with active use, quickly wears out, especially if the child already has a mouth full of teeth (when will the baby start teething? Read the article: Teething in children >>>). Don’t rush to buy a new one, explain to your baby that it’s time to throw away the broken pacifier, and no one will sell a new one to such a big boy or girl;
Alternative. The main explanation for prolonged pacifier sucking is the inability to calm down or fall asleep in other ways. Offer your child a pleasant alternative. Give him a relaxing massage before bed, turn on the lamp with quiet music, buy beautiful pajamas and a toy that will make him happy to fall asleep with.

At the same time, do not forget to tell them that only babies need a pacifier, and your child has already grown up.

What not to do when weaning off a pacifier

When deciding how to painlessly wean your child off a pacifier, completely abandon the proven old-fashioned methods. Shouting and intimidation will not help matters.

There is no need to smear the pacifier with bitter spices or paint it with brilliant green; the child may refuse the pacifier, but the psychological trauma will remain. After all, the pacifier is a friend for him, and this friend let him down;
You should not deliberately spoil the juice, as a child may swallow some of the silicone or choke;
Screaming will not help, understand, the baby is looking for reassurance in the pacifier, he is already alarmed, and in addition to the loss of the pacifier, there is also a screaming mother;
Do not take the pacifier away from your child during a change or if he or she is sick. Later you will find the right time to wean your baby from sucking the pacifier. By the way, if a child’s teeth itch and he actively uses a pacifier to relieve discomfort, it’s time to offer him a teether with a cooling effect.

Dentists have their own vision of how to wean a child over 3 years old from a pacifier. Experts have developed a special version of a pacifier for children, made of soft plastic, similar to a pacifier, but with a flattened nipple. The purpose of such a sample is to help cope with sucking addiction, without harming growing teeth.

Another option is the Stoppie pacifier, which is a semicircle with silicone bridges for biting instead of the usual nipple.

I hope, thanks to the advice in this article, you will be able to part with your pacifier easily and painlessly.