When should a child be weaned off a pacifier? Some practical tips. How to wean your child off his favorite pacifier? How to wean a 1.10 child from a pacifier

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

Why does a baby get used to a pacifier?

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

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

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

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

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

Is a pacifier harmful?

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

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

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

What is forbidden to do during the weaning process

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

• spoil the pacifier (parents often try to cut the pacifier, bend it, hold it on fire, etc. All this is done so that the child finds it unpleasant to suck on it and he weanes himself from it. But few people think that the child may accidentally bite off a piece of the spoiled calming object, which is quite easy to do, and swallow it);
• lubricate the pacifier with food additives (a worse weaning method is to lubricate the pacifier with mustard, pepper or salt). Here there can be no talk of love for your own baby. After all, not every adult can tolerate such supplements. Moreover, a small organism is not adapted to such tastes. As a result, the child will experience dysfunction of taste buds, throat spasm and swelling. And lubrication with sweet additives will ruin your teeth and only cause an even greater craving for a pacifier);
• shout at the baby (if the child cannot calm down and demands his pacifier, then you should not raise your voice at him. After all, the child feels the anger of the parents and begins to be capricious even more);
• wean during periods of illness (when the baby suffers from an illness or starts teething, a pacifier is a universal way to help. During such periods, it is strictly forbidden to limit the child to a pacifier, because this can lead to irreversible consequences).

If there is a relapse

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

The most common cases are that the child behaves calmly for 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 persistence becomes stronger. If he does not stop getting irritated without a pacifier for 10 days, then you need to buy a new one and after a while repeat the weaning.

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

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

In these situations, you don’t have to wait for the “right day”; you will have to act quickly and as efficiently as possible. For example, if a child who is already quite old does not want to let the pacifier out of his mouth and gets very irritated when he loses it, then you should act immediately:

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

Best time to wean

The most appropriate time to wean a child off a pacifier is often decided by parents on their own or in consultation with a doctor. If there are no emergency situations, then the process can be started at any time, but this should be done smoothly, without causing harm to the still unformed nervous system.

Weaning before 2 years of age

The period when it is better to wean a child off a pacifier begins at 2 months. From this moment until six months, he develops the first signs of complete readiness to refuse. 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 go quickly and successfully:

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

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

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

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

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

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

After 2 years

Sometimes it happens that weaning off the pacifier did not work out as quickly as necessary. Weaning a child off a pacifier after two years of age is not always easy. 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 does not bring success, then you can regularly reduce the time the pacifier is in the mouth. This will take more time, but the result will be successful.

Family help

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

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

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

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

Some parents, psychologists and pediatricians believe that it is impossible to take a pacifier away from a child. If he gets tired, he will refuse. Everything has its time. Other experts are convinced that it is necessary to wean off the pacifier at a specific age. Which opinion is correct, when and how the separation of the child and the pacifier 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 has no effect on the mental development of the child. The true, deeper reason for parents’ worries is the influence of society.

The country's chief pediatrician, E. O. Komarovsky, also speaks about this: “As a rule, parents urgently begin to wean their child off the pacifier not at all because they themselves decided so. But because someone shamed them - they say, your child is already so big, and everyone walks around with a pacifier.”

Think about what you are really worried about. If it’s about you, your fear of public condemnation, and not about concern for the health and development of the child, then you need help, not the baby. Leave the baby a pacifier and get to work on yourself. If this is not your case, then start weaning your baby off the pacifier.

When to wean off the pacifier

Weaning off a pacifier, like addiction, varies from person to person. Some babies do not want to put the pacifier in their mouth, while others gladly accept this replacement and do not want to give it back later. For some children, this is emergency help at a time of excitement or hysteria. But for others it is an integral part of life. These and other factors influence the process of weaning off the pacifier.

Psychologists and pediatricians agree that the age of weaning does not matter. But you definitely can’t do this until you’re a year old. This is due to the developmental psychology of children: they retain the sucking reflex until they are one year old. It is so pronounced that without a pacifier the baby will suck 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 more soundly and is less capricious. She gives him a feeling of security and calms him down.

Unlike sucking on a pacifier, sucking on other objects or body parts is dangerous for the child’s bite and further development. Sucking on other objects is considered a bad habit that can persist for many years. You definitely need to get rid of this.

How to wean yourself off the pacifier

If the child did not forget about the pacifier, but the parents decided to wean him off, then you need to prepare for difficulties. It will be especially difficult before falling asleep. The child will be capricious and cry. The success of the venture depends on the patience of the parents and the fatigue of the baby. The more active his day is, the easier it will be for him to distract himself from the pacifier and the more peacefully he will sleep (get tired). It is important to ensure that the child is well fed. It is useful to take a walk before bed and give your baby a bath.

There are several proven psychological ways to wean yourself off a pacifier:

1. Offer an exchange. Tell a story about the tooth fairy, but in this case the pacifier fairy. Fulfill a child's deepest wish in exchange for a pacifier.
2. Turn weaning into a game: together with your child, give a pacifier to toys, because they cannot fall asleep without it.
3. At 3 years of age and later, you can invite your child to cut the pacifier and throw it away. It's like a ritual of growing up, which will come in very handy at the moment. Encourage the child, tell him that he is already big. On a positive note, cut the pacifier together and throw it away.
4. In a year or two, you can try to “forget” or “lose” the pacifier. Honestly look for it with your baby, and then in a cheerful tone offer to forget it, 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 already told him “we’ll buy another one” or he himself noticed the change in the pacifier, then nothing will come of it.
5. Offer to give a pacifier to another child. This could be a younger brother or sister, a child of friends. You can even give it to a squirrel, dog, or cat. Most children agree to such a game. It is also useful because it instills compassion and kindness in the child from an early age. 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 greedy, do not force him. And in order not to upset another baby, prepare a “duty” pacifier in advance. If anything, give it as a gift, but 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 constantly. Adults compensate for the lack of love by overeating. Children can compensate for the same dissatisfaction with an addiction to a pacifier. Perhaps it is not a sucking reflex, but another dissatisfaction. There is a theory in psychology that sucking a pacifier after 2 years is an attempt to mask loneliness, boredom, or other problems. Put the pacifier away and take care of the child; perhaps he will not remember the loss.

What not to do

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

1. Do not scold your child for his addiction to the pacifier, do not humiliate him, do not punish him, do not shame him. This will not help you get rid of the habit, but it can cause neuroticism in your personality.
2. Do not smear the pacifier with mustard, ointments or anything else that will be unpleasant for the baby. Firstly, in this case you deliberately offend him and cause unpleasant emotions. And secondly, you sow a kernel of fear. Little children learn about the world through touching and testing. After a bitter pacifier, they will be afraid to try anything, and this interferes with adequate knowledge of the world. And the third danger is that the child will begin to be afraid of all previously familiar things (the favorite pacifier suddenly became disgusting, and what if this happens to other things).
3. Don’t come up with scary fairy tales (I’ll give you to the policeman, a woman will come if you continue to suck the pacifier). This creates fears and drives the child into stress. In this way you will only upset the emotional and mental balance of the baby.
4. Don’t compare with other children in the context of “you’re bad, but Vitya is great.” This negatively affects the child’s self-esteem, reduces trust in parents, and spoils relationships.
5. Think carefully before taking your pacifier. If you make this decision and start taking the pacifier, then don’t give up what you started. You cannot give in to the child’s cries and return the pacifier. This will weaken your authority, and the child will learn to achieve what he wants by shouting.

Another important condition: do not separate your child from the pacifier during periods 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

Children's development is individual. The properties of the psyche and features also differ. It is important to understand that there are no uniform deadlines or requirements for when to take away a pacifier. Some people break up in a year, others in two or three. You can wean yourself off the pacifier in an average of 2-5 days. The older the child, the easier it is to do this.

The sucking reflex develops in a child in the womb, where he begins to suck his finger. In the first months of life, this reflex helps the child obtain food from the mother’s breast and develop normally, so it is extremely necessary.

If a baby is breastfed, then he is ready to suck on his mother’s breast for days. But not every mother can stand it.

We often give the child a pacifier at this moment in order to give him the illusion of the proximity of his mother’s breast, thereby calming him down. As a result, he develops the habit of sucking the pacifier. When bottle-fed, a pacifier is also extremely necessary, as it promotes the development of chewing muscles.

But subsequently the child gets used to the object and there comes a time when the pacifier prevents the child from developing normally. And the child has no desire to part with her. And then parents begin to wonder how to wean them off the pacifier.

Why is it important to wean your baby off the pacifier?

It is believed that constant sucking of a pacifier leads to the formation of malocclusion in a child. In addition, it interferes with the baby’s development, he has problems with socialization, and he is simply not interested in interacting with other children.

The little man becomes psychologically infantile and is not interested in the whole world around him.

Some pediatricians believe that pacifiers may also cause speech delays. Subsequently, it will be difficult for the child to learn to pronounce hissing sounds.

To this you can add the danger of contracting an infectious disease, because there are many bacteria on the surface of the pacifier.

If the pacifier is not treated sufficiently, then infectious processes such as stomatitis and candidiasis develop in the oral cavity. And it can be difficult to control the cleanliness of this item, because the child often drops it and then puts it in his mouth.

However, the famous child psychologist Komarovsky does not believe that the pacifier interferes with the normal development of the child. In his opinion, all of the above does not arise as a result of pacifier abuse, but because of the heredity and psychological characteristics of the child.

However, a grown-up child does not need this item at all. Therefore, you need to study the question of how to wean your child off the pacifier, especially if he is already 2 years old. After all, a two-year-old child has already grown up enough and the pacifier may bother him.

When is the best time to wean

There always comes a moment for parents when they realize that their child has grown up, but is still sucking a pacifier. And all the children around have not done this for a long time.

Naturally, it is better not to continue until then. After all, the older the child gets, the more difficult it will be for him to part with his silicone friend. He has already formed this bad habit. And the parents will have to work hard to get him to give it up.

Experts recommend starting weaning off the pacifier before the child is one year old. At this age, the baby can easily switch to other things and will not suffer from restrictions. In two or three years it will be much more difficult to do this.

And given that the sucking reflex fades at 6-8 months, it is at this time that you need to give up the pacifier. And at this time the child begins to be fed, i.e. In addition to mother's milk, he receives other food.

All these changes bring completely different sensations to the little man. And the child’s attention is attracted to other things - various sippy cups, spoons, cups.

But if you suddenly weren’t able to wean your child off at this tender age, don’t worry. This can be done at the age of three, when the child’s consciousness changes and he begins to understand the parents’ arguments. At this time, you can play on the child’s pride, and he will refuse the pacifier himself.

In many European countries there is absolutely no concern about this, and there you can even find a 5-year-old child who continues to suck a pacifier. And this does not prevent children from developing normally; subsequently, there still comes a moment when they refuse on their own.

On the other hand, a child after 5 years old will look funny with a pacifier in our realities. And who wants their child to be laughed at, so it’s still worth trying to wean him off this.

Let's look at ways to get rid of the habit of sucking a pacifier, as well as recommendations and tips.

Gradual weaning off the pacifier

If you are interested in the question of how to wean a child off a pacifier after one year, then try the “smooth weaning” method. It is the most painless, but requires time and patience from the parent.

Weaning off the pacifier occurs gradually. You can remove the silicone friend during the day, but leave it on at night. To prevent the child from suffering too much, you will have to entertain him, read books to him, watch cartoons, play with him.

If it is difficult to distract your child all day, then you can remove the pacifier only during a walk. It will be easiest to distract a child on the street. After all, there can be so much interesting for him, for example, flying birds, passing cars, walking cats, etc.

To wean your child from the habit of sucking a pacifier while sleeping, you can remove the pacifiers, read him fairy tales at this time or sing lullabies. If your child continues to be naughty, you can bring him his favorite toy and place it next to him.

Sometimes a child cannot fall asleep without a pacifier in any way and various tricks do not help. In this case, you can wait until the baby falls asleep and try to remove the pacifier. After some time, the baby will begin to get used to sleeping without this silicone accessory.

But never make your child hysterical or take away the pacifier against the child’s will.

Refusal once and for all

This method is more suitable for older children who have reached the age of three. But you should always remember that this is a difficult period, so you need to try not to harm the little person’s psyche.

Giving up a pacifier can be a fun way to play it out. You need to explain to the child that he no longer needs the pacifier, but the little fox in the forest simply cannot do without it and convince him to give it to him. Write a letter to the little fox, put it in an envelope along with a pacifier.

You can give the pacifier to another child you know who is younger. Discuss this point in advance with the mother of this baby and give it to her in the presence of your child. But not all children agree to part with their silicone accessory so easily.

Sometimes drastic actions, such as throwing the pacifier in the trash, help. After this, it will be possible to organize a celebration in honor of weaning off the pacifier, so that it is etched in the memory.

If he later asks about his pacifier, he needs to be reminded that he no longer needs it, since he has become an adult. Although this method is condemned by many experts, sometimes it turns out to be the most effective.

Breaking a Habit in 7 Days

This method is most effective when the baby is fed breast milk. During the first 5 days, we wean the baby off the pacifier, reducing the time he sucks the pacifier by half.

The pacifier is then removed during the day but left in place for a short time at night. The child should hold it in his mouth for less time than he did before. After the nipple is taken away, the baby is given mother's milk. If the baby is capricious and demands to return the pacifier back to him, you need to give it to him for a few minutes. After this, the baby is given the breast again.

In what cases is it not necessary to wean

Parents should take into account the psychological state of the child and not take any action to get rid of the habit if the child gets sick or goes to kindergarten for the first time. At these moments, it is difficult for the little man; another stress can negatively affect his health.

The character of the baby is also of great importance. If your child is the owner, then there is no need to give the pacifier to another person. Just give up on this method and find another, more acceptable one.

Do not apply any bitter substance to the pacifier. Some parents coat the silicone surface with hot pepper or mustard. Firstly, this may cause the child to develop allergies, and secondly, this is not the most effective method. After some time, the baby may demand his pacifier back.

Never yell at children or call them hurtful names. Despite the fact that the baby is 2-3 years old, he has already developed a sense of self-esteem. And hurtful words can hurt him.

You shouldn’t cut off a piece of the pacifier to make it uncomfortable for your child to suck on it—it’s also not a good idea. And this can be dangerous; a piece of silicone can get into his throat and cause suffocation.

There is no need to give gifts in response to a child’s refusal of a pacifier. He may start to manipulate. Whenever he wants a gift, he will start sucking on a pacifier. You can give him a gift only if the child refuses the pacifier once and for all.

When a child is teething, it is better to pause your efforts to wean him off the pacifier. At this time, his gums hurt too much, and a pacifier will help reduce this pain. To further alleviate the painful condition, you can give him a special cooling teether, which you can purchase in baby stores.

1. Buy special accessories - all kinds of rodents and teethers, they will help distract your baby from his favorite pacifier.
2. During this period, try to eat more with a spoon and drink with a mug. Then it will be easier for the child to wean off sucking.
3. You should not give the pacifier immediately when the baby starts crying, wait a little. And if it doesn’t calm down, then give it to him.
4. Create a new bedtime ritual, such as singing him a song and reading him a story. The main thing is that there is no place for his dummy in these actions.
5. And never listen to the opinions of non-professionals who tell you how to wean your child off the pacifier. Before taking action against the pacifier, consult your pediatrician. They know better how to wean a baby off the pacifier painlessly.

You will learn in this article how to wean your child off the pacifier correctly and easily, so as not to injure the baby.

For many children, the attachment to the pacifier (pacifier) ​​is so strong that weaning it off from sucking becomes a real problem. Babies do not want to part with a familiar object, which often accompanies them from the first day of life. As the baby progresses through the stages of development and learns about the world around him, the pacifier is invariably present during everyday whims as a quick sedative.

It is not surprising that attempts to take away a pacifier from a grown-up toddler end in complete defeat for the parents. But sooner or later there comes a time when it is necessary to remove the pacifier. The tips given in this article will help you cope with children's pacifier addiction as painlessly as possible.

Why do babies suck pacifiers and pacifiers?

The child's attachment to the pacifier is explained, first of all, by the unconditioned sucking reflex of the newborn. The need to suck is formed in the womb and allows the baby after birth to satisfy his hunger with mother's milk. This is a basic skill through which a child is able to obtain food. The sucking reflex is pronounced, and if the mother is not ready to constantly attach her offspring to the breast or prefers to feed with formula, the pacifier comes to the rescue.

The pacifier helps:

• satisfy the need for sucking;
• relieve pain during colic and teething;
• calm down in case of nervous tension, excitement;
• feel psychological comfort, as when sucking a mother’s breast;
• fall asleep quickly without tears and whims;
• get rid of thumb sucking, the edge of the diaper and everything that comes to hand.

The sucking reflex is responsible for the need for the nipple

Initially, in infancy, the main reason for the baby’s reluctance to part with the pacifier is physiology. Then, as we grow older, attachment moves to the psychological plane. If parents give a pacifier in every more or less difficult case, just so that the child does not cry, then in the future he will demand it every hour. This is an already ingrained habit of sucking a pacifier if it hurts, feels bad, is scary, you want to sleep, or just for fun. It is almost impossible to calm your baby without your favorite piece of rubber or silicone.

Why wean your baby off the pacifier?

On the street you cannot meet a single adult adequate person with a pacifier in his mouth. It is logical to assume that someday any child himself will refuse the pacifier. Indeed, doctors are inclined to believe that it is worth waiting for the moment when the baby throws the pacifier into the far corner and forgets about it. But this situation is possible if the child shows no signs of the negative influence of his favorite accessory, which is rare.

What can result from prolonged sucking on a pacifier or pacifier?

• Formation of correct bite and teeth growth. Constantly sucking on a foreign object leads to improper load on the oral cavity, and, accordingly, muscle balance is disturbed. As a result, an open or distal bite and an unnatural angle of inclination of the teeth may develop. These pathologies cause discomfort and are difficult and expensive to correct.
• Breastfeeding. The mechanism of sucking a nipple is significantly different from sucking milk from the mother's breast. Because of this, the baby does not latch onto the breast correctly and does not obtain food as efficiently, which leads to the extinction of lactation. In addition, the facial muscles get tired from the constant presence of a pacifier, the baby no longer has the strength to fully feed, he is in a half-starved state.
• Healthy mouth and stomach. According to the rules, the pacifier must be boiled before use and at least every day, washed with soap and water or sterilized after falling, stored in an airtight container and changed promptly. In fact, it serves as a breeding ground for germs, because the child drops it and immediately puts it in his mouth, takes it with dirty hands and does not want to wait until it is washed. This leads to intestinal infections and oral diseases.
• Pronunciation of sounds and words. A pacifier that is constantly in the mouth affects the position of the tongue and, as mentioned above, forms an incorrect bite. Because of these factors, the child distorts the pronunciation of sounds, and subsequently words. The pacifier inhibits speech development in general because it is constantly present in the oral cavity and prevents the child from attempting to speak.
• General physical and mental development. The child initially has a desire to understand the world around him. But, if you close his mouth with a pacifier, a calming effect appears, and curiosity decreases. The child will not have the desire to get something out, touch it, feel it, or try it on his teeth, because there is a pacifier available. He will seem to be in an information vacuum, not trying to get out of it.

If a pacifier is provided to a child occasionally and for short periods of time, then it is not capable of causing harm to health. But it still creates certain inconveniences, for example, if there is nowhere to wash it or if it is suddenly lost. Therefore, most parents strive to rid their child of addiction in a short time.

At what age is it best to wean a child off a pacifier?

The best time to wean a child from sucking a pacifier is when complementary foods are introduced. This usually occurs between 4 and 8 months of age. The child begins to learn to chew, and the sucking reflex weakens. A period of up to a year is also suitable, because the baby does not yet have time to become very addicted to the pacifier and can be distracted by many interesting activities.

Weaning off the pacifier can be combined with the start of complementary feeding

If a convenient time period is missed for some reason, then the next optimal age for weaning from a pacifier is considered to be 2.5-3 years. The child is already able to understand the adult’s arguments and consciously give up the habit. With the right approach, the baby will even be glad to part with the pacifier and feel like he is big and does not need the toys used by babies.

How to quickly wean your baby off sucking a pacifier

Parents often wait until the last minute, and when they decide to take away the baby’s pacifier, they do it quickly and abruptly. This method has a right to exist when real problems with health or psychophysical development arise due to the pacifier. But in order not to cause psychological trauma to the child, doctors recommend choosing a convenient moment when he is completely healthy, in a good mood, and gradually reducing the time allotted for sucking his favorite toy.

Options for weaning a child off a pacifier:

• Cutting. Suitable for children over 3 years old or if necessary, quickly remove the pacifier from use. The child is offered to give it as a gift or throw it away, since he is already big, or they take it away and say that they have lost it. Next, they try to distract the baby so that he doesn’t remember about her. Walking and playing in the fresh air are extremely effective when the child is exhausted to such an extent that he does not remember the desire to suck a pacifier.
• Weekly. If you have a little time to wean, then the option of gradually giving up the pacifier over one to two weeks is suitable. Its essence is that day after day the time spent by the child without a pacifier increases significantly, and every suitable moment is used for this. First, the pacifier is removed in situations when the baby is interested in something: during games, walks and bathing. On day 3-4, during the daytime, she is taken away immediately after he has calmed down. On days 5-6 they leave it only for sleep, and on day 7 they let it fall asleep with it in the evening and remove it completely. During the whims of the night, they rock you to sleep or offer you a drink from a mug.
• Smooth. An ideal option for children who are strongly attached to their favorite pacifier. It helps well at 1-2 years old, when the child already remembers his favorite thing well, and does not react to attempts to negotiate and refuse it on his own. The sequence of actions is almost identical to the weekly version, only extended over a long period. There is no need to rush things, gradually accustoming the baby to the fact that there is less and less time left for sucking the pacifier. At the same time, you need to be more active, coming up with new games and entertainment, so that the child practically does not remember about the pacifier.

Features of weaning from the pacifier per year

A one-year-old child reacts negatively to attempts to take away his favorite remedy for calming and falling asleep. It is unlikely that he will be able to explain anything, so the main weapons of parents should be endurance, patience and ingenuity. The baby needs to be fed tightly so that he does not have the desire to fill his mouth with something. He needs to be constantly entertained and distracted so that he is busy and does not remember about the pacifier. And for a peaceful bedtime, physical activity during the day and a relaxing evening bath with aromatic foam are necessary.

One-year-old baby won't want to give up his favorite pacifier

How to wean a child from sucking a pacifier at 2 years old

A two-year-old child is already able to understand what his parents want, even if he does not always agree with it. For a child of this age, you can put on a whole performance about sending a pacifier to your favorite little fox in a fairytale forest. Another effective option is to persuade the child to present a pacifier to a small child by telling him how he cries without it. Naturally, this must be done after first obtaining the consent of the baby’s parents. If possible, you can exchange the pacifier for a new, good toy for the “big” kids.

You can try to negotiate with a two-year-old child

Features of weaning from the pacifier at 3 years

A three-year-old child usually speaks quite well and understands everything perfectly. It’s already possible to communicate with him on equal terms. In this case, if the child does not want to part with his favorite pacifier, you need to act decisively. Reasonably explain why you should stop sucking the pacifier and throw it away or exchange it for some kind of sweet. If, after refusal, the child remembers and asks for a pacifier, then you need to duplicate the conversation and reinforce the effect with praise that he is already big and does not play with infant toys.

For a three-year-old child, parting with the pacifier will not cause significant discomfort

How to wean your baby off the pacifier at night

The most difficult stage for parents is weaning a child from sucking a pacifier at night. The baby falls asleep without her for a long time and with whims, he can worry, wake up and cry. You feel sorry for him and yourself, you want to sleep, and there is a temptation to give a pacifier “for the last time.” This is not recommended: the child will remember that after a long scream they give him his favorite object, and will repeat the hysteria every night.

The most effective way to wean a child off a pacifier in the dark is to create the right conditions for sound sleep.

You must not lose sight of the slightest detail:

• correctly calculate the time of dinner so that the baby is full, but does not feel heaviness in the stomach;
• do not give a lot of drinks at night, so that there are no multiple awakenings due to the urge to urinate;
• have fun and actively spend time so that the child gets tired and falls asleep quickly;
• spend a lot of time walking in the fresh air to ensure sound sleep;
• create and maintain a bedtime ritual, for example, bathe your baby in the bath with the addition of an infusion of soothing herbs;
• ventilate the bedroom in advance, carry out wet cleaning of the premises daily;
• tell him an interesting bedtime story and let him fall asleep cuddled with his favorite toy.

How to wean your child off a pacifier

Children react acutely to the imperfections of this world. Therefore, when weaning off your favorite pacifier, you need to be careful. This is not a one-size-fits-all situation. In order not to undermine the little man’s trust in his parents, it is necessary to think about the consequences of each step.

You need to take the pacifier from the baby delicately

You cannot engage in outright sabotage, for example, smearing the pacifier with some unpleasant seasoning or sauce. You cannot damage the silicone nipple by cutting off a piece from it or cutting it into petals. Such methods will not only upset the child, but can also cause serious damage to health.

It is also prohibited to swear, humiliate the child, or compare him with other children who do not suck a pacifier. It is not recommended to start weaning off a pacifier if the baby is sick, teething or is in a stressful situation, for example, going through a period of adaptation to kindergarten. It is better to wait for the right moment, and then giving up the pacifier will be easy and painless.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion on weaning a child from pacifiers

Sooner or later, every parent faces the question of how to wean their child off a pacifier. The child grows, goes out into society, and the presence of a pacifier causes censure from others.

Modern pediatricians are divided into 2 opposite sides regarding the benefits and harms of pacifiers. Most often, their supporters are conservatives who consider the pacifier a necessity. The other side believes that the nipple is an obstacle to full and proper breastfeeding.

Benefits of pacifiers

Proponents of the use of pacifiers argue that it is necessary for the following reasons:

• satisfying the baby's sucking reflex is the main argument in using a pacifier, since the mother does not always have the opportunity to breastfeed or if breastfeeding is impossible for some reason;

A pacifier helps your baby calm down

• the child calms down if he is given a pacifier, this is an excellent help for the mother in an emergency situation;
• assistance in weaning from breastfeeding;
• the pacifier helps the baby fall asleep;
• the child sucks his finger - to wean him off, they resort to using a pacifier.

Nipples are made from different materials and different shapes. Often the child himself chooses the pacifier that suits him. But there are children who refuse to take any pacifier, in this case the mother is looking for other approaches to her child.

Your pediatrician can tell you how to wean your child off the pacifier. For children with increased nervous excitability, the pacifier will be an excellent helper, Sucking helps babies calm down. If such a child is denied a pacifier, he will suck on a diaper or fists.

In addition, the pacifier helps to cope with increased gas formation, as it stimulates intestinal function. In addition, pacifiers are different; modern manufacturers offer anatomical pacifiers that minimize all the side effects of sucking.

Classification	Group	Description
Pacifier size	0-6 months	conditional division
	6-18 months
	over 18 months
Pacifier type	latex	rubber, soft, with a distinctive taste and smell, loses its shape over time, change every 2 weeks
	silicone	transparent, odorless, easy to bite through
Nipple shape	orthodontic	the end is beveled
	round
	symmetrical	flat on both sides
Limiter	standard	one recess for the nose
	figure eight	two recesses for the nose

Disadvantages of pacifiers

Opponents of using a pacifier cite a number of equally convincing arguments:

• the pacifier is an artificial breast substitute; if it is abused, the child will latch onto the breast incorrectly and will soon abandon it altogether;
• it is impossible to always keep the pacifier sterilely clean; this is dangerous due to infections;
• as a result of prolonged sucking, the bite changes, the correct growth and formation of teeth, and the formation of the vocal organs are disrupted;
• psychological lack of mother’s warmth - the newborn needs constant physical contact with the mother, instead receives a silicone breast substitute;
• The danger is that with the appearance of teeth, the child runs the risk of biting off the pacifier material and choking on it.

In any case, experts consider the use of a pacifier for up to 1 year not dangerous, but only when absolutely necessary. It is in the first year of life that the child has a particularly developed sucking reflex, which fades away by the age of one year.

Physiology of habit

The sucking reflex develops in a child during intrauterine development so that at birth the baby can get milk from the mother's breast. In order for the milk to reach the baby, he must make efforts with the help of the maxillofacial apparatus.

To ensure proper latching on the breast, the baby is placed at a certain angle. Otherwise, the mother's nipple is injured and there is a risk of the baby swallowing a large amount of air, which leads to increased gas formation.

How to wean a child off a pacifier has been thought about since ancient times. All the positive aspects of the pacifier were noted in ancient times, and it was then that the first nipples appeared. But they looked like linen bags with honey or poppy seeds. And the first rubber nipples began to be produced in the middle of the 17th century. Research into the benefits of pacifiers began only at the beginning of the 20th century.

When a child is born, you may notice that the lower jaw is located slightly deeper than the upper jaw. This is because this position makes it easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal. But with age, the lower jaw moves forward.

During sucking, the child opens his mouth very wide, while the main work is done by the soft palate and the root of the tongue. In this case, the nipple changes shape during sucking and becomes flat.

Violation of the physiological structure of the jaw and bite depends on the shape of the pacifier. If the nipple is round, the oral cavity adapts to it, this threatens improper muscle development, and the cavity of the upper palate changes.

The most noticeable side effect of using a pacifier is malocclusion. It may become slanted and the teeth protrude forward. If the nipple has an orthodontic shape with an oblique end, the likelihood of such problems is significantly reduced.

Psychology of habit

The psychological aspect of the habit of sucking a pacifier is that the child's signal of discomfort is muffled. It is customary to give a pacifier when a child is worried or crying, thereby communicating his desires or unpleasant sensations.

By giving a pacifier at this moment, the baby's signals are ignored. Getting used to this, the child drowns out his emotions, which accumulate inside, this leads to increased nervous excitability and irritability.

But perhaps the most important thing that children who are constantly given a pacifier are deprived of is maternal warmth. A child's crying signals a lack of maternal attention; by replacing the breast with a pacifier, the mother knowingly deprives her child of valuable mother's milk.

A child psychologist can advise you on how to wean your child off the pacifier while keeping him calm.

As a child ages, he must learn to cope with his emotions on his own, without a pacifier. If the pacifier has been used for too long, more than 1.6 years, giving it up will be problematic. In adulthood, cigarettes or alcohol can replace a pacifier. Scientists have discovered a direct connection between these methods of relaxation.

When is it time to wean your child off the pacifier?

If a child has been sucking on a pacifier for a long time, it will not be easy to wean him off it. According to pediatricians, the maximum age for using a pacifier is 1.6 years. The sucking reflex at this age is no longer there, the habit remains.

In the times of Ancient Rus', a child with a pacifier could walk until the age of 5; this was convenient for parents busy with housework. But times have changed, now children of this age are very developed, so the presence of a pacifier will only complicate not only the development of speech, but also social adaptation.

Weaning off a pacifier can be difficult, as children get used to this item in very different ways. Excessive preference for nipples is observed in a child who was fed with formula. This dependence is explained by the fact that the sucking reflex was not fully satisfied. First, such a child is dependent on a pacifier, then on a bottle, and then sucks on a sleeve of clothing or a toy.

During the second year of life, the child’s speech apparatus actively develops; the presence of a pacifier will interfere with this, therefore, from 1.6 to 2 years of age, it is highly advisable to permanently remove the pacifier from the child’s daily routine.

Incorrect actions and ways to wean a child off a pacifier

Sucking a pacifier is a way for a child to calm down, so weaning from this habit should be done as gently as possible.

Parents often make the following mistakes:

• applying hot spices and sauces to the pacifier - this method will increase the child’s stress, and if careless, can lead to burns of the mucous membrane;
• cutting the nipple is dangerous because the child can bite off the silicone, swallow it, or choke on it;
• it is forbidden to scold a child - after all, the blame for this habit and responsibility for it lies with the parents;
• imposing fears - they often resort to telling the child that the pacifier was taken by a hare, a bear or one of the strangers.

It is important to note that before weaning your baby off the pacifier, you need to teach him to calm down and fall asleep on his own.

How to wean a child off a pacifier - keep him busy with games

The best ways to minimize stress are as follows:

• do not give a pacifier unless necessary and during the waking period - you need to reduce the sucking period as much as possible;
• do not take the pacifier with you for a walk - the child must learn to relax without its help;
• Instead of a pacifier in emergency situations, offer the child other distracting objects - a favorite toy, a treat.

Ways to wean yourself off the pacifier

There are several ways to wean your baby off the pacifier with minimal stress. When choosing a method, you should take into account the age of the child.

Gradual weaning

How to wean a baby off a pacifier with minimal stress worries every mother sooner or later. Gradual weaning is more suitable for younger children, because for them, abruptly getting rid of the pacifier will be dangerously stressful. In this case, the process may take one or several months; parents should be patient.

When putting your baby to bed during the day, gradually teach him to fall asleep without a pacifier.

First, it’s worth understanding in what cases you can do without a pacifier, and whether you really need to give it to your child. And you need to try to minimize this time. It is worth removing the pacifier when going to bed for a nap so that the baby learns to adjust to rest without its help. After success during the day, you need to remove the pacifier before falling asleep at night.

To make it easier for the child to part with the pacifier, parents should spend time with the baby as often as possible. You can distract yourself with games, walks and communication.

Success is achieved when the child stops asking for a pacifier during the day, both while awake and during sleep. If the mother is breastfeeding, the weaning process will be gentler, since the child can receive the breast if desired.

An important point - when weaning off the pacifier, be sure to remove all bottles with silicone attachments. Any reminder about the pacifier will only complicate the situation, and the process will drag on for a long time.

Abrupt weaning

The abrupt method of weaning is suitable for children over 1.6 years old; at this age the child begins to understand a lot. The most popular method is when parents tell the child that his pacifier needs to be given to another baby, because he is already big.

One way to wean yourself off a pacifier is to tell your child that the pacifier needs to be given to another baby.

Stories are also made up that the pacifier was taken by a cat, dog or any other animal that the baby loves. You should not insist on weaning off the pacifier at those moments when it is most difficult for the child. For example, if teeth are actively being cut.

In this case, it is enough to minimize sucking by replacing the pacifier with a teether. Many parents pretend that they have lost their pacifier. This is an effective and quick way to say goodbye to the pacifier.

The weaning method should be chosen depending on the degree to which the child is accustomed to the pacifier. Often, a child’s daytime and nighttime sleep is disturbed, he is capricious for a long time, and cannot relax and fall asleep.

Weaning with the Stoppi plate

Modern inventions help get rid of bad habits not only for adults, but also for children. One of the new products that has appeared relatively recently on the pharmacy market is a silicone plate, a pacifier substitute, produced in Germany. Before using the Stoppi plate, you should contact your orthodontist.

The plate is a hypoallergenic silicone vestibular pad. The plate has silicone bridges on the sides for chewing teeth, which perfectly prevents deformation of the upper jaw and teeth.

The manufacturer claims that the result will be visible after 2-3 weeks of regular use of the plate. It should be used instead of a pacifier at the usual time.

Weekly method

There is a way that is a compromise option. Within a week, you can completely get rid of the habit of sucking a pacifier.

It is necessary to proceed according to the following scheme:

1. Reduce sucking time by 2 times for 5 days.
2. In the last 2 days, give the child a pacifier only before daytime and nighttime sleep (on demand).

If your baby can't sleep without a pacifier, you can give him the breast.

In this case, replace the pacifier with the breast if the child cannot sleep. If a child requires a pacifier for a long time, you should give it first, then the breast.

How to stop a child from falling asleep with a pacifier

Sucking before bedtime helps the baby relax, calm down and calmly go to sleep. You should start weaning off the pacifier by carefully removing the pacifier immediately after falling asleep.

The only way to get rid of the pacifier is constant attention and distraction of the child in other ways. If your baby demands a pacifier before going to bed, you need to switch his attention to something else. You can hold him close, patting him on the back, sing a lullaby, or read a book.

At night, instead of a pacifier, it is advisable to give the breast; if for some reason this is not possible, you need to take the child in your arms and calm him down. The problem most often lies not in the child himself, but in the fatigue of the mother, who is easier to give a pacifier.

At what age should a child be weaned from breastfeeding?

Weaning a child from the breast occurs at different ages and depends on many factors:

• quantity and quality of breast milk;
• child's age;

• medical indications;
• the mother’s condition and desire to continue feeding;
• family circumstances.

Of course, breast milk is the ideal food for a child, provided by nature itself. But sooner or later, for various reasons, you have to stop feeding. If there are no other reasons other than the age of the child, you should continue breastfeeding as long as possible. WHO recommends breastfeeding until 2 years of age.

Sometimes the child is independently weaned from the mother's breast. This happens for various individual reasons: insufficient caloric content of breast milk, difficult milk supply, the child is lazy. And sometimes it’s simply much easier for a baby to suck milk from a bottle than to try to get it from the breast.

Pediatricians believe that the minimum duration of breastfeeding should be in the first year of a child’s life. And the most favorable age for weaning is considered to be 18 months.

After all, from 6 months (for some earlier) the process of complementary feeding begins; by the age of 1.6 years, a child is familiar with vegetables, fruits and cereals. Therefore, breast milk is not his main source of nutrition and it will be much easier to survive parting with the breast.

With the introduction of complementary foods, the need for breastfeeding (respectively, sucking on a breast or a pacifier) ​​gradually decreases, so how to wean a child off a pacifier during this period is easier

After 1.6 years, the child uses breastfeeding exclusively for soothing, so the longer this continues, the more dependent the child will be on the breast. This distances him from full social adaptation and character development; at the age of 2 years, a child should be able to independently get out of a stressful situation and calm down.

To successfully wean from breastfeeding, the following rules must be taken into account:

• the child should be relatively prepared for such stress, it is worth postponing weaning if the child is sick or in a state of anxiety;
• there should be a calm atmosphere in the family at the time of weaning, since the child is emotionally sensitive;
• the mother needs to wear closed clothes and not provoke the child with an open breast;
• It is imperative to compensate for separation from the mother’s breast with increased attention to the child.

There are several methods of weaning:

• abrupt excommunication– the essence of this method is to stop feeding once and for all. A rather stressful method for both mother and child, they resort to it exclusively in emergency cases, often for medical reasons;

It is necessary to wean the baby from the breast if the mother is taking medications.

• gradual weaning– a long process, but the most gentle. The idea is to gradually reduce the number of feedings per day, first removing daytime feedings, then nap feedings, and lastly night feedings;
• drug weaning– occurs with the use of hormonal drugs to reduce lactation.

Each mother chooses the most suitable method for her child, taking into account his readiness.

What to do if your baby is used to night feedings

If weaning from breastfeeding occurred at the age of 1.6 years or older, and the child cannot get out of the habit of eating at night, experts recommend:

• immediately before bedtime, the child needs to be fed well;
• replace milk or porridge at night with tea or a slightly sweet compote;
• after some time, offer the child only water when waking up at night;
• remove the bottle, switch to a sippy cup or a regular glass.

To wean your baby off the pacifier and breast, let your baby drink from a special cup

From a physiological point of view, a child does not need night feedings at this age; it is a habit. If you stop giving your child food after waking up, sooner or later he will stop waking up. In addition, during night sleep, the child’s stomach should rest; excess stress will lead to problems with the gastrointestinal tract and teeth.

At what age should you wean your baby off bottle feeding?

Not every baby needs a bottle, because if the baby is fully breastfed, there is no need to supplement with water. Later, water, compotes and fermented milk products are given from the bottle. But after 1 year there is absolutely no need to give the child a bottle; this skill turns into an unnecessary habit.

Pediatricians recommend completely abandoning bottles at 1.6 - 2 years of age. The child is old enough to learn to drink from a glass or sippy cup. Along with weaning your child from drinking from a bottle, you should also get rid of the pacifier.

How to wean your baby off the bottle

The process of weaning off the bottle can be different for all children. It depends on whether the baby is breastfed or bottle-fed, how often the mother gives the baby a pacifier and drinks from a bottle.

It is worth weaning off the bottle only when the child can confidently sit and eat from a spoon.

These skills are usually acquired by the end of the first year of life. If the child is bottle-fed, the process will take some time.

Weaning off the bottle occurs according to the following rules:

• You should not start weaning during a difficult period for the child (if the child is sick or teething);
• Bottle feeding is removed last for bedtime;
• It’s worth trying to offer your child a sippy cup.

The main rule is not to rush; this process should take place with minimal stress for the child. The process of weaning off a bottle is in many ways similar to weaning off a pacifier.

Article format: Natalie Podolskaya

Video about pacifiers for babies

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