How to wean a baby from a pacifier. How to wean children off the pacifier? How to wean a child from a pacifier and not injure him psychologically. Sharp refusal: for children from one to three years

Almost every parent has faced the issue of pacifiers. Giving or not giving? And if you give, then when to wean? And if weaning, then how to wean a child from a pacifier? And a million more personal questions and experiences, since each child is individual.

The physiology of the habit lies in the uterine period of the development of the baby. While in his mother's stomach, he diligently practiced sucking his fingers and toes. No wonder that when he was born, he only knew how to do this. It is very good if you are breastfeeding a child, satisfying his needs. In this case, the nipple is not such an important component in his life.

If your baby is an artificial one, then most likely you cannot do without it. It is unlikely that he will refuse the proposed pacifier, because it will become a sedative for him. Thanks to her, the baby quickly calms down, stops crying, and easily goes to sleep. From the point of view of physiology, the nipple becomes a joy for him - a substitute for his mother's breast.

This option is optimal only in the first six months of life. At this stage, you can painlessly wean him off the pacifier. After the specified period, accustom the child to a spoon, feed him from it, get a drinker or drink from a cup. After six months, the need for a nipple becomes psychological, and weaning at this stage will cause difficulties.

Psychology of habit

The need for a sucking reflex gradually disappears, and by the age of one, the rubber “girlfriend” is completely unnecessary for the child. By that time, the addiction becomes psychological, so the absence of a pacifier brings the child to hysterics. Dependence on her may be an indicator of a weak bond with parents. The very use by the mother of a rubber breast substitute with or without cause is capable of psychologically alienating the baby from her. Part of the love from a living person will be transferred to a rubber object. The child loses orientation, because it is not the hands and milk of the mother that give him warmth, but the nipple.

The habit of sucking on a pacifier at two years old is already a growing problem. By this point, the child must make clear the reason for the experience, and not replace explanations with a pacifier.Refusal of the pacifier at this time is complicated by the fact that the child is aware of what is happening and understands the impossibility of the existence of his habit.

Such a psychological problem can lead to dysbacteriosis, since the baby himself can take a nipple lifted from the floor into his mouth, which is dangerous for him.

Pros and cons of a pacifier

The main arguments in the issue of using a baby pacifier are:

The sucking reflex is the main one for the newborn, in this case it is a way of survival. When a child is born, doctors first of all check it, since the success of the child's development depends on it. In the case of an optimally expressed reflex, the baby will cope with the production of breast milk, which will contribute to its normal development. Otherwise, experts come to the conclusion that there are disorders associated with neurology or physiology.
Artificial method of feeding. In the case when the breast is given on demand, there is no need for a pacifier. With artificial feeding or in the absence of constant access to the breast, the nipple can become an alternative to satisfy the desire to suck on the nipple, which, in turn, will lead to a satisfying sucking reflex, a sense of security, calmness.
A means of preventing sudden death syndrome. According to experts, the pacifier ring makes it possible for air to enter even when covering the child with his head.

Main cons:

in the case of using an irregularly shaped nipple, the formation of an incorrect bite, violations in the growth of milk teeth are possible;
the occurrence of problems with the development of speech;
speech therapy problems;
frequent colic, belching;
delay in the development of intelligence;
psychological problems - infantilism, detachment and others;
increased risk of developing an infection in the mouth.

The arguments for not using a pacifier are:

Breast access on demand regardless of hunger.
Persistent unwillingness to suck on a pacifier.
The presence of other effective ways to calm down, including the ability to switch easily.

As Evgeny Komarovsky, a well-known Russian pediatrician, correctly notes, there is no harm in using a pacifier, and all of the above reasons have nothing to do with a pacifier and are related to the environmental situation, body characteristics and genetics.

But if there is an opportunity to refuse the use of a pacifier, it is better to use it. The presence of physiological (as a method of developing a reflex) and psychological (as a method of distraction) causes will eventually develop into a habit that is problematic to get rid of.

Truths and myths about pacifiers

There are a lot of erroneous and truthful opinions about pacifiers.

1. The pacifier is harmful. In fact, if your baby does not abuse her, then she is a very good helper. If your baby has colic, then a pacifier in the mouth will reflexively contract the smooth muscles in the intestines and help expel gases.

2. There is an opinion that with a properly selected breast alternative, the baby will be calm. In fact, true, but only until the moment when the little man grows up. The size of the nipple will soon cease to suit him, and peace will not come. Do not forget that if the pacifier is not changed, the child may develop a curvature of the bite.

3. A pacifier should not be given in the first three weeks of life, as the baby will not learn how to properly latch onto the nipple when feeding. Indeed, to exclude further problems with lactation, wait a little with it. At the same time, choose the shape of your mother's breasts, an orthodontic option.

4. When choosing silicone or latex, you should not give preference to any particular option. There are pros and cons to both types.

5. A pacifier to protect against cold air when walking is a myth. A child with a closed or open mouth breathes evenly through the nose. The pacifier is not for protection, but for comfort. On the street, make sure that it does not crush or irritate the baby.

The optimal age for weaning

The optimal age is considered a period of up to a year. To be more precise, the best time is the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods. At this age, there is still no serious psychological dependence, the sucking reflex no longer needs to be developed, and attention between things and events switches very quickly.

The next period for weaning from pacifier sucking with the least loss will be 3 years. At this age, children have an understanding of what is happening, and you can agree with them.

A difficult period for weaning is considered 2 years. The child has formed a stable habit, there is an understanding of how to manipulate parents, a crisis of 2 years begins, which entails tantrums, whims and inconsistency.

You can look at the statistics and choose the most suitable option for yourself:

6% have never used a pacifier;
7% - as an exception in the period up to a year;
20% - in a year and a half;
19% - in two years;
46% - at the age of 2 to 3 years.

Children rarely stop sucking on the pacifier themselves, so parents should calculate the most convenient time as correctly as possible.

Ways to wean from a pacifier

There are four ways to wean a baby off a pacifier:

gradual;
sharp;
weekly way;
with the stopi plate.

gradual weaning

The first method is characterized by a gradual increase in the time between sucking the nipple, bringing it to its complete exclusion. This method is recommended by almost all pediatricians, including E. Komarovsky, and the best age for him is 1 year, maximum - 1.5 years.

Its time interval is several weeks.

During this period it is necessary:

exclude the nipple from the field of view in the daytime, leaving access to it at night;
do not take her for walks;
gradually accustom to falling asleep without a pacifier;
find a worthy alternative to such a "girlfriend".

To understand how to properly wean a child from a pacifier, you can use some recommendations from parents and specialists:

Distract the child from thoughts about the dummy with the help of games, drawing, watching cartoons and other activities that can arouse interest;
Try to find a compromise by exchanging the pacifier for something more interesting. For example, reading fairy tales, joint creativity, going to an interesting place for a child.
It is recommended to talk and explain to children about the dangers of the pacifier and try to persuade them to take such a radical step.
It will be effective to take the nipple for the period of taking a bath, since at this time the baby is passionate about water procedures and is able to do without it. This recommendation is voiced by the vast majority of experts. After taking a bath, you can rock the baby, tell a story or sing a song. These manipulations can also be used during the period of weaning from the nipple at night.
On a walk, the baby's attention can be switched to birds, dogs, flowers, cars.

FOOTNOTE-
It is important to remember that swearing in such a process is not allowed.

Sharp weaning

The second method involves a one-time rejection of the sucking device. The method is crude, but fast and effective. Ideal for children 3 years old. Before starting, it is advisable to prepare children for this process by inventing it yourself or choosing one of the proposed options:

give a pacifier to another;
send a parcel to a bunny, squirrel or other favorite animal;
throw away.

Most experts insist on getting rid of the pacifier with permission and in the presence of the baby, as this will minimize psychological trauma.

Having chosen this method of weaning, you need to be prepared for whims and tears, but you should not have doubts about the correctness of your actions. It is important to remain unshakable in your decision here, otherwise you will not be able to quickly wean the child from the pacifier, and the next time this process will be even more difficult.

If weaning occurs at the age of about two years or older, it is necessary to organize a kind of holiday that will symbolize growing up.

If you choose this method, you must not forget that most pediatricians do not welcome it and recommend it only in case of emergency.

Weekly way

A compromise between the first and second methods is the weekly method. It includes the advantages of the first - minimal damage to the psyche, and the second - speed.

Most suitable for breastfed babies. Here, the maternal breast acts as a substitute for a pacifier.

Main scheme:

For the first five days, the sucking time should be halved.
In the last two days, the pacifier can only be offered at bedtime (night and day).
The period of falling asleep is halved by replacing the dummy with a breast.
In the case of a persistent demand for a nipple, you need to act according to the following algorithm: the nipple is sucked for several minutes, then the breast.

Deviation from the scheme is possible in emergency cases, when it was not possible to find another way to reassure.

Weaning with Stopi

The fourth method is characterized by the use of an orthodontic plate called Stopi. This is a vestibular plate made of hypoallergenic silicone, developed by orthodontists, and, as advertised and manufacturers assure, it effectively eliminates the habit, and also helps to correct malocclusion.

The main advantages of the plate are:

prevention of open bite (the presence of a vertical gap between the teeth);
prevention of abnormal development of the lower jaw;
contributes to the cessation of oral breathing.

The essence of the method is to wear this plate from morning to evening, parents need to observe at the same time that fingers or a nipple do not stick into the oral cavity.

What Not to Do

There are a number of actions that all pediatricians oppose.

Weaning during the period of illness, adaptation to the garden, increased moodiness. During such periods, the emotional burden on the psyche is quite high in itself. Nothing to make the situation worse.
Weaning by order. Each child is the owner of his own thing, so do not push and insist on donating, throwing away or giving away if resistance is felt.
Lubrication with bitter foods (mustard, pepper, herbal juices). This method can provoke an allergic reaction, which can lead to suffocation.
Shouting, humiliation or abuse from adults. Despite his young age, such actions can cause irreparable damage to the psyche of the child.
Damage to the nipple (cutting off the tip to create discomfort during sucking). This method can have unfortunate consequences if a piece of cut pacifier gets into the respiratory tract.
Giving gifts. Despite their young age, most children are extremely intelligent and will quickly figure out that their parents can be manipulated in this way. A presentation is possible, but only after the final weaning.
Weaning during teething. Such periods are associated with painful discomfort. The pacifier here acts as a way to divert attention and reduce the intensity of pain. In parallel, you can add specialized teethers.

When weaning begins, the pacifier can be replaced with a nibbler. This device is easy to make yourself or buy ready-made. The essence of its use lies in the possibility of replacing a piece of rubber with a device into which grated vegetables and fruits can be placed inside.
For older children, you can buy a musical instrument that develops the respiratory organs and involves the mouth in the process (starting with a whistle and ending with a pipe).
Physical and emotional load to the maximum. Long walks in the fresh air, active games at home, after that taking a bath with soothing oils (in the absence of allergies to components) and a night's sleep.
Full transition to feeding from a spoon and drinking from a cup.
Replacing the pacifier with rodents, teethers and similar items.
Do not rush to give a pacifier at the first tears, only in case of insistent demand.
To facilitate weaning from the pacifier before falling asleep, the best way is to come up with new activities to calm the activity: reading books, lullaby, rocking.

Despite all the advice and recommendations, the best assistant was and remains the maternal instinct. He is the only one who knows and takes into account the individual characteristics and capabilities of your child. By listening to him, you will certainly be able to go through this emotionally difficult stage with the least loss.

Experience and feedback from parents

Olga Palamarchuk
After a year, my husband came to the conclusion that our Bear is already big and should live without a pacifier. At that time he was one year and three months old. I agreed. But the process of weaning has become some kind of impassable quest. Old-fashioned methods were used to solve the problem. The patterns were incredible.

At first, the "pipe" was carried away by the grandfather rabbit, whom he saw on the farm. The night went like hell. I have never encountered this even when weaning. In the morning I gave up and regretted, gave away my favorite.

Then smeared with spices, salt. A barbaric way, but grandmothers advised. They listened to everything.

The video of Dr. Komarovsky saved us. Which in this matter was more adequate than us. He said that it is not fatal, and it is useless to wean. They stopped mocking their son and waited. It's been three months since the night of rejection. We tried to try to remove the pacifier again, it did not work. Soon, on his own, he began to do without a pacifier during the day. Before that, they reduced the time they spent with their “favorite toy”. On the advice of a doctor, we tried to remove it when falling asleep and it worked the first time.

At night, however, he woke up and looked for a pacifier. I had to give it up when I started crying. The next evening, they bathed in a bath with the addition of a soothing herbal infusion, fell asleep without a pacifier and slept until morning.

Valentina, 28: “When my daughter was one and a half years old, we were at the zoo. There she dropped the pacifier and was not even upset, as there was somewhere to transfer her attention. Dashula and I threw the pacifier into the trash and moved on. And since then, she has not been remembered.

Victoria, 30 years old: “My advice is not to listen to pre-war methods of weaning. I tried to lubricate the nipple with mustard and very much regretted my decision - Misha had a severe allergic reaction. At first there was a small rash, and then my son began to choke. I was frightened in earnest, called the pediatrician.

Irina, 23 years old: “As for me, you should not force children to throw away bottles and nipples. There will come a time when the child will lose interest in them on their own. With the eldest daughter it happened at the age of two, and with the son even earlier - he was 1 year old. I didn’t feel any problems with eating and going to bed.”

Sorvina Tatyana Afanasievna
Pediatrician

“If it is already possible to wean a one-year-old child from a pacifier, then for a year and a half, a child must be saved from sucking a pacifier. By this age, all the teeth have erupted in the baby, and the process of calming down when teething with the help of a pacifier is no longer relevant. A very small percentage of restless children need it.

As a result of long sucking, an incorrect bite may appear. But, as a rule, this happens by the age of three. In addition, at 3 years old, the child should talk and do other things, eat normal food, and not suck on a pacifier. The development of the child should go right, and the pacifier prevents this.

There are two ways. The first is to give, donate, throw away, the mouse took it away, the fairy flew in. But the child needs to be prepared for this, as he may be offended. Weaning in this case will take 5-7 days.

The second way is gradually. If it's hard for your child to give up the habit, then switch his attention. Read a book, sit with him before bed, pat him on the head, spend more time with him. He will be calmer about what is happening if you give him your love. This method works within 21 days.

A baby is not only a joy for parents, but also a lot of trouble that takes up all their free time. Feeding, entertaining, telling a story before going to bed - all these are the standard duties of every parent, but when to wean a child from a dummy is not such an easy question. After all, for him this thing is the most interesting and soothing. Thanks to the dummy, parents can rest for at least 5 minutes, so that they can satisfy the needs of their child with renewed vigor.

Why does a baby get used to a pacifier

The newborn has several refrexes, the main 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 on the breast, so they can do quite well without a pacifier. But there are also babies who do not know how to control the reflex and pull anything into their mouth if there is no pacifier. With such restless kids, parents have much more trouble, because the chances of infecting a small organism are quite high.

Often there are situations when it is necessary to wean a child from a pacifier, but the child does not agree to this. Doctors presented three main problems in which it is very difficult to part with your favorite pacifier:

Undernourished kids. This category includes babies who, from birth, lacked breastfeeding, or it was completely absent. Because of this, the sucking reflex cannot be satisfied in a natural way, and the craving for the "object of sucking" becomes more and more.
"Sweepers". Recently, only 3-4% of such personalities have been found. In fact, such children are special, because they learn the world with the help of taste sensations. They like to take toys, paper and any other objects in their mouths - this is their natural need, which must be satisfied.
Survivors of trauma. If the baby had a chance to survive a long-term illness, then he can become quite attached to the nipple, because she calmed him down in the most difficult times. Therefore, even after recovery, the pacifier remains the best and most faithful friend for the child.

In general, the baby gets used to the pacifier for various reasons, but how much to wean the child from the pacifier - each parent must understand this on their own.

Is a pacifier harmful?

As already mentioned, not all parents can easily wean their child from the pacifier. Therefore, the question arises: "Is it necessary to wean a child from a dummy in general and does it bring harm?" Overly caring mothers are afraid that in the future the child will have speech problems and he will not be able to pronounce all the letters of the alphabet correctly. In addition, there is also another precaution, which consists in the growth of ugly and crooked teeth, which, according to the parents, will contribute to the constant presence of the nipple in the mouth.

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

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

What is forbidden to do in the process of weaning

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

spoil the nipple (often parents try to cut the dummy, bend it, hold it on fire, etc. All this is done so that the child is unpleasant to suck on it and he weaned himself from it. But few people think that the child can accidentally bite off a piece of a corrupted soothing object, which is quite easy to do, and swallow it);
lubricate the pacifier with food additives (a worse weaning method is lubricating the nipple with mustard, pepper or salt). Here, love for your own baby is out of the question. After all, not every adult can tolerate such supplements. Moreover, a small body is not adapted to such tastes. As a result, the child is waiting for a violation of the function of taste buds, a spasm of the throat and swelling. And lubrication with sweet additions will ruin the teeth and only cause even more cravings for the 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 act up even more);
wean during the period of illness (when the baby suffers an illness or teeth begin to cut, a dummy is a universal way to help. During such periods, it is strictly forbidden to limit the child in a dummy, because this can lead to irreversible consequences).

If there is a "relapse"

Weaning from a dummy 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 a child from a pacifier, but not all of them have considered the possible complications that often appear after a successful weaning.

The most common cases - the child behaves calmly in the next couple of days, and then again begins to demand his friend. At the same time, the psychological state worsens, and the child's perseverance becomes stronger. If he does not stop being irritated without a pacifier for 10 days, then it is necessary to purchase a new one and after a while repeat the weaning.

When you need an emergency pacifier waiver

Despite the fact that parents, with the help of doctors, have determined the exact time when to wean the child from the pacifier, emergency cases may occur.

In these situations, you do not have to wait for the “right day”, you will have to act quickly and as efficiently as possible. For example, an already quite adult baby does not want to let a dummy out of his mouth and is very irritated when it is lost, then you should act immediately:

Explain the situation. Without swearing and laughing, it is necessary to tell the child in a calm tone that the nipple harms his teeth, does not allow him to speak normally, and so on.
Accidentally forget the "sedative" at home and the whole family go, 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 her with him.
Cut off a small part of the nipple (but so that the baby could not bite off a piece and swallow), and then in a joking way explain who ruined it and how.

The best time to wean

The most appropriate time when weaning a child from a dummy, parents often decide on their own or consult a doctor. If there are no emergency situations, then you can start the process at any time, but this should be done smoothly, without harming the still unformed nervous system.

Weaning under 2 years of age

The period when it is better to wean a child from a pacifier begins at 2 months. From this moment and up to six months, the first signs of complete readiness for failure are formed in him. The best option is to get rid of the pacifier before 6 months, which will ensure that there are no many unnecessary problems. By adhering to a few simple rules, you will see that weaning will be quick and successful:

If a sedative is required only when it is in full view of the child, then the weaning process can begin immediately.
You can replace the pacifier with motion sickness, songs, fairy tales, or any other activity that will soothe you in the same way as the nipple did before.

During the period from 6 months to a year old, energy overflows, therefore, if the nipple is deprived, all actions will be aimed at its return.

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

During this period, drinking from a special baby cup will help you forget your sucking skills, and you can also start feeding from a bottle, but giving food on plates.
It is allowed to give a pacifier only at the request of the child himself, it is not worth showing it just like that.
Frequent games and walks will occupy the baby and he will forget about the need for a pacifier in his mouth. Interesting and educational toys can even contribute to the fact that the pacifier will be transferred from children's hands to adults without any resistance.

If the baby has already celebrated his first full birthday and he is one year old, then you should not be upset. This period is also favorable for weaning, but more effort will have to be applied.

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

After 2 years

Sometimes it happens that weaning from the nipple did not work out as much as needed. Weaning a child from a pacifier after the age of two is not always easy. The easiest way is a normal conversation, in which you need to mention the need to leave the pacifier in a playful way. If this option is not successful, then you can regularly reduce the time the pacifier is in your mouth. It will take more time, but the result will be successful.

Family help

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

Recommendations and advice from professional psychologists will help in those moments when it will be necessary to wean a child from a pacifier. For example, requiring a pacifier while in an active state, a child says that his cerebral cortex is tense and urgently needs relaxation. Therefore, the dummy will interfere with the memorization of information. In such situations, you need to distract him from the calming object as soon as possible and begin to explore the world with the baby.

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

In order for the baby to grow up healthy and less capricious, you need to spend more time with him. Then his development will strive upward, together with his parents he will make discoveries and grow up as a full-fledged and interesting personality.

Some of the parents, psychologists and pediatricians believe that it is impossible to take a pacifier from a child. Tired - he will refuse. Everything has its time. Other experts are convinced that it is necessary to wean from a pacifier at a specific age. What is the correct opinion, when and how the separation of the child and the nipple should occur, let's figure it out.

Many parents worry that prolonged use of a pacifier will harm the development and health of the baby. In fact, it has been scientifically proven that the pacifier does not affect the mental development of the child in any way. The true, deeper reason for the experiences of parents is the influence of society.

The chief pediatrician of the country, E. O. Komarovsky, also speaks about this: “As a rule, parents urgently begin to wean the child from the pacifier, not at all because they themselves decided so. But because someone shamed them - they say, you already have such a big child, and everyone walks with a dummy.

Think about what you are really worried about. If the problem is you, your fear of public condemnation, and not concern for the health and development of the child, then you need help, not the baby. Leave the pacifier to the child and start working on yourself. If this is not your case, then start weaning the baby from the pacifier.

When to wean from the pacifier

Weaning from a dummy, like addiction, is individual. Some babies do not want to take a nipple in their mouth, others gladly accept this replacement and do not want to give it to anyone later. For some children, this is an emergency help at the moment of excitement, hysteria. For others, it is an integral part of life. These and other factors influence the weaning process.

Psychologists and pediatricians agree that the age of weaning does not matter. But you can't really do that until a year ago. This is due to the psychology of the development of children: up to a year they have a sucking reflex. It is expressed so strongly that without a pacifier, the baby will suck on a finger, toys, mother's breast or something else. The pacifier is a safe option for satisfaction. In addition, with a pacifier, the child sleeps better, is less naughty. She gives him a sense of security, reassures him.

Unlike sucking on a pacifier, sucking on other objects or body parts is dangerous for the baby's bite and further. Sucking on other objects is considered a bad habit that can persist for years. This is a must to get rid of.

How to wean from a pacifier

If the child did not forget about the pacifier himself, but the parents decided to wean him, then you need to prepare for difficulties. It will be especially difficult before falling asleep. The child will be capricious, crying. The success of the venture depends on the patience of the parents and the fatigue of the baby. The more actively his day passes, the easier it will be for him to distract himself from the pacifier and the calmer he will sleep (tired). It is important to make sure that the child is well fed. It is useful to take a walk before going to bed and bathe the baby.

There are several proven psychological ways to wean from a pacifier:

Offer an exchange. Tell a story about the tooth fairy, but in this case the pacifier fairy. Fulfill the cherished desire of the child in exchange for a pacifier.
Turn weaning into a game: together with your child, give a pacifier to toys, because they cannot sleep without it.
At 3 years old and later, you can invite the child to cut the pacifier and throw it away. It's like a ritual of growing up, which will come in handy at the moment. Encourage the child, say that he is already big. On a positive note, cut open the pacifier together and discard.
In a year or two, you can try to "forget" or "lose" the nipple. Honestly, together with the baby, look for her, and then in a cheerful tone offer to forget, distract the baby with a game. But remember that this method is only suitable if the child does not know that a pacifier can be bought. If you have already told him "we will buy another" or he himself noticed the change of the pacifier, then nothing will come of it.
Offer to give a pacifier to another child. It can be a younger brother or sister, a child of acquaintances. You can even give her squirrel, dog, cat. Most children agree to such a game. It is also useful because from an early age it instills compassion and kindness in the baby. But remember an important condition: do not yell at the child if he does not want to part with the pacifier, do not call him a greedy person, do not force him. And in order not to upset another baby, prepare a “duty” pacifier in advance. If that give it, and leave your child's pacifier.

When choosing a method, consider the child. For example, not all children like to share their things, and some are not ready to destroy their favorite thing with their own hands.

Show your love for your child at all times. Adults compensate for the lack of love by overeating. Children can compensate for the same unsatisfied with an addiction to a pacifier. Perhaps it's not the sucking reflex, but another dissatisfaction. There is a theory in psychology that pacifier sucking after 2 years is an attempt to mask loneliness, boredom, or other problems. Put the pacifier away and take care of the child, he may not even remember the loss.

What Not to Do

There are several psychological and pedagogical taboos that need to be taken into account in the process of weaning:

Do not scold the child for addiction to the nipple, do not humiliate, do not punish, do not shame. This will not help to get rid of the habit, but it can cause a neurotic personality.
Do not smear the nipple with mustard, ointments, or anything else that will be unpleasant for the baby. Firstly, in this case, you deliberately offend him, deliver unpleasant emotions. And secondly, you are sowing a seed of fear. Small children learn the world through touch, trial. After a bitter pacifier, they will be afraid to try anything, and this prevents an adequate knowledge of the world. And the third danger is that the child will begin to be afraid of all things familiar before (the favorite pacifier suddenly became disgusting, but what if this happens to other things).
Do not invent scary tales (I will give you to my uncle policeman, a babayka will come if you continue to suck on a dummy). This gives rise to fears, drives the child into stress. In this way, you will only disturb the emotional and mental balance of the baby.
Do not compare with other children in the context of "you are bad, but Vitya is great." This negatively affects self-esteem and the baby, reduces trust in parents, spoils relationships.
Think carefully before you pick up a pacifier. If you make this decision and start taking the pacifier, then do not quit what you started. You can not succumb to the cries of the child and return the pacifier. This will weaken your authority, and the child will learn to achieve what he wants by screaming.

Another important condition: do not wean the child from the dummy during the period of illness, poor health, teeth growth or other stress. One stress will be superimposed on another, which will affect the mental development and well-being of the baby.

Afterword

The development of children individually. The properties of the psyche, features, are also different. It is important to understand that there are no uniform deadlines and requirements for when to select a pacifier. Someone breaks up in a year, and someone in two, three. Weaning from a dummy can be done in an average of 2-5 days. The older the child, the easier it is to do this.

Since ancient times, many parents have used pacifiers to soothe their baby. They have become so firmly established in the everyday life of babies that many often associate babies with the presence of pacifiers in their mouths.

Whether or not to use a pacifier for your baby is up to the parents, and there are arguments both in favor of pacifiers and against them.

But if you are followers of a pacifier, sooner or later you will have a question - how to wean a child from a pacifier.

Many children easily part with this item, and for many, losing a pacifier even for an hour can turn into a long tantrum, and then it will not be easy to wean a child from a pacifier.

Should I wean my baby off the pacifier?

Naturally, a child will not suck on a pacifier all his life, not a single adult walks the streets with nipples. This means that sooner or later the child himself will refuse to use a pacifier.

But until that time, it can lead to bite problems and psychological difficulties, and it will not be easier to wean a three-year-old child from a pacifier than a one-year-old, they will also show a finger.

Often, parents want to quickly and radically wean the baby from pacifiers. In the course are dangerous physical and psychologically prohibited techniques that can lead to health problems.

dip the pacifier in mustard or pepper, hot sauces. This can cause burns to the mucous membranes of the mouth, esophagus and stomach, lead to poisoning
tear or cut the pacifier. When sucking on such an injured pacifier, the child may swallow or inhale pieces of it, he may choke and even die
yelling at a child for using a pacifier, spanking and scolding him
tease a child, call ugly words, dishonor a child (“oh, look what a big boy and sucks on a pacifier, fu, how embarrassing”).
do not deceive the child. This will undermine the child's trust in you and complicate parenting.
scare the child with babaykas, Baba Yaga and other scary characters. Weaning from a pacifier is stressful for a child, and combined with fear can lead to severe and deep neuroses.

Why wean from the pacifier

The process of sucking for a child is one of the key reflexes laid down by nature, which is formed even in the womb.

Due to sucking, the child not only receives food, but calms down, falls asleep, relieves stress, and copes with pain in the tummy and mouth.

Sucking is also a kind of psychological protection from experiences, a way to relax and receive protection from the outside world.

Therefore, up to a certain point, sucking on a pacifier for a child is a kind of habitual and constant way of calming and relaxing, from which a strong dependence can form with a lack of attention from parents.

If, during the period of weaning from the pacifier, the child is given maximum attention and the way of falling asleep and calming is switched in his mind to another, the pacifier can be quickly abandoned.

Usually, artificial ones are more dependent on pacifiers; in infants, mother’s breasts and communication and sleep with her can be a substitute for it.

When should a baby be weaned off a pacifier?

Children are overwhelmingly weaned off pacifiers at one or two years of age, which is considered a fairly late time for weaning.

According to psychologists, a baby needs a pacifier during the period of the most pronounced sucking reflex, approximately the first six months of life.

Therefore, it is recommended to smoothly wean the child from the pacifier in the period from 6 months to 12 months, during the period of gradual extinction of the sucking reflex.

It is only important not to miss the moment when the baby will be psychologically and physiologically ready to give up the pacifier, when he can do just fine for a relatively long time without it.

Do not delay this process for a long time and carefully monitor the baby.

It is impossible to specify the exact age of giving up a pacifier, for all children this is strictly individual.

Try to do without a pacifier for a day with your baby, starting at the age of six months - you will understand that the pacifier is mostly needed by parents, and not by children at this age.

Gradually teach your child to drink from a cup, let's eat from plates with spoons, it will gradually be nipples.

The sooner the child weaned from the bottle, the sooner he would wean himself from the pacifier.

It is worth distracting the child from the pacifier, developing his large and fine motor skills, giving him various toys and rodents for games. Do not remind about the pacifier yourself and do not give it to the child until he insistently asks for it.

Try to wean from it smoothly, making the intervals between its use more and more.

What to do during the weaning period? Children at this age often cry, but this is not at all a signal for you to immediately give the child a cherished pacifier to calm down.

Instead, try to distract the child with a game, sing a song or read a book, tell a story, feed the baby or shake it in your arms.

It is necessary to create a new ritual of calming in the child, without the presence of a dummy, which over time will force it out of the child's life.

The pacifier should be left only in a very extreme case, when without it the child is completely uncomfortable and difficult. At the same time, as soon as the baby calms down or falls asleep, it is worth removing the pacifier from him.

It should not be in the field of view of the child, try to spend the maximum amount of time without it.

Stop taking it with you on walks, do not give it when watching cartoons or activities with your baby, try to leave it only before bedtime, or even go to bed without it if possible.

For older children, explain that the pacifier is broken and you don’t have another, cut the pacifier and give it to the child in this form. He can quickly lose interest in a spoiled and uncomfortable pacifier.

You can also talk about baby animals in the forest who really need a baby's pacifier. Often, children willingly agree to give their dummy to the poor animals.

Try to replace falling asleep with a pacifier for a toy (doll, teddy bear, or any other favorite). Initially, you can fall asleep with a pacifier and a toy, gradually removing the pacifier.

Praise your child more often for being so mature and independent, doing without a pacifier.

sleeping badly

daytime sleep

Tantrums

Not a single trifle sometimes causes such heated discussions within the same family as the most common nipple - a pacifier. Mom, for example, does not see anything wrong with her, and grandmother desperately protests and insists that the nipple is incredibly harmful to the baby's bite. Dad takes a neutral position, but only until the moment when the baby starts yelling.

And how much trouble the loss of a pacifier causes if the child is already used to it! Parents are ready to run to the pharmacy in the middle of the night for a new one, if only the child would calm down. The well-known pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky tells whether such a nipple is needed for a child, how to wean him from it in time, and whether there is any harm from the fact that the baby sucks on a dummy.

"Pros and cons"

If you do not give a dummy as a matter of principle, then the baby is very likely to start sucking his thumb as soon as he can reach his mouth. This is an unsatisfied sucking reflex, which absolutely all newborns have, and which passes on its own at a certain age. A child sucks his thumb not because he wants to, and not at all out of boredom. This is an instinct, and it is completely useless to fight it, says Yevgeny Komarovsky.

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

helps to satisfy the sucking reflex;

soothes the child, lulls him;

stimulates intestinal peristalsis, develops facial muscles.

There is no consensus on the dangers and benefits of nipples in pediatrics. Some doctors say that it is harmful, others recommend giving it to a toddler. One thing is known for sure, says Yevgeny Komarovsky: you need to listen to the child himself. If he wants to suck, let him suck. If he spits out a pacifier, don't insist. Especially to accustom to it at 2 months, at 3 months or later, when the teeth begin to erupt, is not a good idea.

If the pacifier solves some specific problems of the child, there is nothing wrong with it, but if the nipple itself turns into a problem, you need to try to part with it or endure it. So, many children at 5-7 months, when falling asleep, “lose” the nipple or take it out of their mouths themselves, and then they get scared and start yelling at night until relatives come to their aid and return the dummy back. In that situation, only the parents themselves need to evaluate the pros and cons and decide what is easier for them to survive - crying without a pacifier for several nights or episodic screaming because of a pacifier, which will pass when the baby realizes that you don’t need to touch it with your hands.

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

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

Another argument of opponents of the nipple is a decrease in lactation. Like, the child, having sucked enough pacifiers, will eat less mother's milk, and her production of this very milk will decrease as expected. Komarovsky advises not to panic, but to rely only on the facts: if the baby grows well, gains weight normally, you don’t have to worry that he didn’t eat something because of the pacifier.

If there are signs of malnutrition, low weight, other symptoms of physical retardation, you need to find the cause, and it is unlikely to be a nipple. Sucking while eating is determined by such an instinct as hunger, and sucking on a pacifier is the satisfaction of another instinct, sucking.

How to choose the "right" pacifier

Today, a huge selection of pacifiers is presented on the shelves of pharmacies and children's stores. There are silicone and latex, with and without rings, large and small. Parents, especially those without experience in selecting such items, find it difficult to understand what kind of pacifier is considered “correct”.

Evgeny Komarovsky claims that a properly selected nipple has less effect on bite.

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

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

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

It is better if the chosen nipple does not have a bulky base and collapsible parts so that the child does not accidentally choke on the pacifier parts.

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

Dummy and bite

The favorite argument of all opponents of the nipple is bite. Yes, the dummy affects him, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. But she is not alone. To a greater extent, this is influenced by metabolism (how much the child receives and how he absorbs calcium, phosphorus), whether there is enough vitamin D in his body.

If the child is "artificial", and in his life he deals only with nipples, then this increases the load on the jaw. If he suckles at the mother's breast, and then continues to satisfy his sucking reflex with a pacifier, then there are other risks of changing the bite.

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

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

Thus, it is impossible to draw a parallel - a dummy - a malocclusion. Not a single doctor has yet been able to prove and argue that this is not so. Therefore, the danger is rather theoretical.

How to wean a baby off a pacifier?

Weaning from sucking a pacifier is a troublesome task, and, most importantly, meaningless, says Evgeny Olegovich. In some children, the sucking reflex from birth is strong and stable, in others it is weaker. The second babies, as a rule, spit out the nipple that has become unnecessary faster. And babies with a very persistent reflex may require a dummy at both 2 and 3 years. However, no one has yet gone to school at 6 or 7 years old with a “pipe” in their mouth, the doctor says, and therefore there is nothing to worry about.

The problem of prolonged pacifier sucking is not a problem for the child, not a disease, not a bad habit - it is his need, but an absolute problem for the whole family. Mom and grandmother so want the baby to grow up soon. The refusal of the pacifier, in the understanding of most parents, is one of the steps to growing up, like the first step, the first itch, the first word. And if the child does not want to part with the pacifier, then do not mock him. His time, says Komarovsky, has not yet come.

The algorithm of actions of parents should be as follows:

We tried to hide the pacifier. If she screams and cannot fall asleep during the day, there is no need to experiment anymore. The attempt is repeated after six months.