We need to wean the child off the Komarovsky pacifier. How easy is it to wean a child off a pacifier at different ages? When is it time to wean your child off the pacifier?

Children are the most precious thing that can be in the life of any person; every day they discover new knowledge, habits and weaknesses are formed, which are not always easy to part with later.

A pacifier or pacifier is a favorite accessory for babies of any gender, but sooner or later the child will have to give up this toy, and it is best to do this competently and painlessly for the psyche. Most young parents ask themselves questions: when should they wean off the pacifier, how and why?

Why does a baby get used to a pacifier?

It is quite difficult to give an unambiguous answer to this question, because each child is an individual, so it is not possible to unlock thousands of doors with one key. Why babies quickly get used to nipples and have such a hard time parting with them is all very simple – basic instincts.

The baby associates the pacifier with the mother’s breast, and therefore evokes tenderness and a desire to take it into the mouth. Most toddlers fall asleep well only with a pacifier, and stop being capricious and mischievous only when the treasured trifle gets into their mouth.

For many mothers, using pacifiers is an excellent solution to the problem of a restless child, but if difficulties or whims arise, you should not constantly shut up the baby’s mouth. Some pediatricians believe that frequent use of pacifiers leads to developmental disorders, as well as the formation of an incorrect bite. However, confirmation of this theory has not yet been presented, although you will agree that it would be strange to see a schoolchild with a healthy psyche and a pacifier in his mouth.

That is why it is best to wean a baby off a pacifier at an early age, preferably before two years of age; it will be easy and safe for the child’s psycho-emotional health.

Methods of refusal

Most experts come to the conclusion that quick adaptation to the pacifier occurs not only because it resembles a mother’s breast, but also gives the baby a feeling of confidence, calmness and satiety. It is quite difficult to take away a sense of peace from a baby, but parents should still be prepared for a number of difficulties that will arise when giving up this habit:

the child becomes whiny, irritable and aggressive.
possible frequent whims, tears and demands to return your favorite toy.
no long-term sleep problems.
The baby will look for replacement, so there is a possibility of frequent feeding.
the likelihood of oral infections increases due to the child’s constant desire to put various toys, blankets or pillows in his mouth.

It is worth noting that breastfed children should not be given a pacifier until the baby begins to eat enough milk. An increased sucking reflex can lead to the fact that the baby simply does not have enough breast milk, and he begins to require a replacement in the form of a nipple. Be very attentive to the issue of replacing your mother's breasts with an artificial analogue. When choosing a way to give up a pacifier, it is best to use proven methods or consult with specialists, but today there are two basic techniques for weaning a child from a pacifier:

Smooth weaning Suitable for children from six months to one and a half years. This method takes approximately 1-2 months, depending on the individual characteristics of the child’s character.
For children aged 1.5 years and older, the best way to wean is sharp, lightning-fast refusal of the pacifier. Parents must use all their imagination to ensure that the child himself leaves the addiction here and now.

Knowing the character and interests of their baby, parents can choose the most gentle way to refuse a pacifier, but it is best not to delay resolving this issue. Many children at the age of three throw away their pacifiers on their own and never return to them, but before this you need to have long conversations and tell the baby why you need to part with the toy you like.

Most often, it takes parents a lot of effort to get rid of pacifiers and correctly tell their children that they no longer need this accessory. The most important thing is not to turn this process into a struggle and not to put pressure on the baby.

10 ways to get rid of pacifiers for children of different ages

Each baby has its own characteristics, so it is quite difficult to apply general rules of action; it is necessary to carefully monitor the child’s reactions to various actions, in addition, age plays a significant role. There are several basic rules that need to be followed when weaning a baby from a pacifier:

1. Tell your child in detail that at his age it is already possible to do without a pacifier, justify your story with examples, pointing to children his age.

2. Turn this procedure into a game so that the child does not worry and is not subject to stress and resentment.

4. Do not use various oils, jams and other edible mixtures with an unpleasant taste for coating the pacifier.

5. Spend enough time on conversations, educational games, music training and singing.

6. Create a daily routine in such a way that there is simply no time left for pampering and whims; the child must be physically active.

7. Before going to bed, be sure to bathe your baby in cool water, this will help avoid hysterics before bed and will perfectly replace a pacifier.

8. If your baby falls asleep with a pacifier in his mouth, be sure to take it out and place it nearby so that during sleep there is no desire to suck on something.

9. Do not damage the pacifier in front of the child, this can lead to psychological trauma.

10. Do not cut the daisy-shaped pacifier; the baby’s mouth already has sharp teeth and he can bite off a piece of rubber, which will cause digestive problems.

Using these basic rules, you can avoid most mistakes, and giving up a pacifier will be painless and quick, however, there are more effective methods for children of different ages.

Refusal of the pacifier before the age of 1 year

In order for the baby to refuse a pacifier before the age of one year, it will be necessary to spend quite a lot of effort and time, because at this time the child is quite jealous of toys and habits.

It is best to use the technique of smooth refusal, that is, create such conditions for the child that he simply forgets about the existence of the pacifier.

Feed your baby well so that he does not have the desire to occupy his mouth with a pacifier, be sure to carry out water treatments and a relaxing massage every day.

Read fairy tales to your little one before bed and carefully monitor reactions to the absence of a pacifier, try to use this accessory as little as possible and over time the child will give it up on his own.

It is necessary to constantly distract the child from the pacifier with various games and conversations; this procedure may require from 4 to 8 weeks, but the result will be impressive. At the age of one year, a child will already be able to do well without a pacifier and this will not affect his healthy sleep in any way.

How to wean a child off a pacifier at 2 years old

With older children the situation is much simpler. You can give up a pacifier at two years old using a unique technique called “personal example.” You should tell your baby an exciting story involving a neighbor's baby or little brother who just needs a pacifier but doesn't have one.

A two-year-old child needs to be clearly explained that he no longer needs a pacifier as much as the baby in your story does; the most important thing is that this object is real. If you don’t have any suitable candidates in mind for the role of the receiver of the treasured pacifier, use your imagination - fish in an aquarium or chicks in a nest, any living creature of a suitable age.

Weaning a 3 year old child

Not all parents pay attention to pacifiers, so many children at three years old still use pacifiers. Of course, this is not a developmental disorder, but it’s worth thinking about it and starting to wean your child off this habit. In this situation, giving up a pacifier at three years of age should be immediate, final and irrevocable.

You just have to tell your child that from this day on he will no longer use the pacifier, because he is already an adult and he does not need it. The answer should be clear, concise and in no case traumatize the child’s psyche.

It is best to artificially create a situation where the pacifier is lost or deliberately thrown away, that is, it can no longer be returned, so you need to live in a new way. After the object is thrown away and the baby understands that it is no longer there and cannot be replaced, you need to buy a sweet treat or an interesting toy to encourage the child’s efforts. This method is currently effective and fast, although it is only suitable for adult children.

Using this knowledge and scientific developments, every parent will be able to make the right choice in favor of one method or another. The main thing is to carefully observe your child and find the right words to explain to him the need to give up the pacifier.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky (video)

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

The benefits and harms of pacifiers

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

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

Weaning scheme for a week

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

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

Abrupt refusal

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

Abrupt refusal of the pacifier means once and for all!

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

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

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

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The time comes when it's time to wean the child off your hands -

P.S. How to wean a baby off the bottle link at the beginning of the article :)

Pediatrician's opinion (video)

Parents' experience

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For many mothers, a pacifier (pacifier) is the best way out when the child is restless or is bottle-fed. It is easier for the baby to fall asleep with it, and it is also easier to calm him down simply by giving him a pacifier. But children's attachment to a pacifier is very insidious - it is not so easy to wean them off. Here it is necessary to take into account psychophysiological factors, the character of the child and external conditions. This article discusses the basic advice from pediatricians on weaning a baby from a pacifier.

To begin with, it should be said that the age of weaning from a pacifier usually varies from 1.5 to 3 years. At this age, the child has already erupted teeth for chewing and the sucking function has already lost its relevance. In addition, after 3 years of age, with constant pacifier sucking, the child already develops malocclusion and dental anomalies (precisely with constant sucking!). Before this age, of course, there will be no such consequences and the use of a pacifier is often quite justified. For children over 1 year of age, the pacifier must be orthodontic.

Another aspect of getting used to a pacifier is the distraction from the outside world. The baby is so engrossed in the process of sucking the pacifier that much around him goes unnoticed. In addition, at the age of 2 years, the child learns to speak, and the pacifier can slow down this process (but not necessarily!).

In Europe, mothers do not attach such importance to nipples and children can suck on them until they are 5-6 years old.

So, in order to wean yourself off the pacifier, you need to take into account some nuances.

Tips for weaning your child off the pacifier

In the first days of life, you don’t have to accustom your baby to a pacifier.
More communication and interest in the world around you.
Provide your child with an adult meal.

Closer to 7-8 months, you can already leave the pacifier only during sleep. The rest of the time it will be better if it does not catch the child’s eyes.

The pacifier needs to be replaced.

What you should never do

Every parent should think about the fact that not all “grandmother’s ways” and not all advice are worth practicing. Moreover, often weaning methods border on madness, which causes much more harm to the child than the pacifier itself. Here are the tips that you hear in everyday life and advice on what not to do.

Apply mustard or other spicy and bitter products to the pacifier. In recent years, the percentage of children with allergic diseases has been increasing and spices can cause Quincke's edema, that is, swelling of the throat and spasm, leading to difficulty breathing.
Cut the pacifier like a chamomile. Children's milk teeth are sharp and may well bite off the gum from the pacifier, and in the best case, the child will simply swallow it. At worst, the gum can stick to the mucous membrane in your throat and cause choking.
Raise your voice at your baby when he asks for a pacifier. The pacifier is his “soothe”, so his whims will only increase if the child also encounters pressure from the outside.
There is no need to take away the baby’s pacifier during teething or other painful conditions of the baby, otherwise the baby’s recovery process may be delayed without the baby’s usual environment.

Methods for weaning a child off a pacifier

If parents have decided that it is time for the baby to wean off the pacifier, then there are several options for solving this problem. So, it is possible to gradually form the habit of going without a pacifier over a few weeks. This method is suitable for children under 1 year of age, or a little older. Here it is necessary to exclude the use of a pacifier during the daytime, not to take it for a walk, and to distract the child more with games. In addition, you should make it a rule to use a drinking cup. Next, it is worth removing the pacifier from the nightly diet, offering the child a replacement - a toy for sleeping together, your company, an evening story, etc. In addition, it makes sense to wait until the child falls asleep.

If the child is more than 1.5 years old, then this technique is not relevant for him. Here a more radical approach will be required. The baby is already able to understand what is happening around him, and the mother can always come to an agreement with her child. We are talking about informing the baby about refusing the pacifier. Moreover, he must understand that he is abandoning her once and for all.

So, you can invite your child to give his “favorite” to another child or an imaginary friend, or to an animal (bunny, mouse, etc.). It is possible to simply throw away the pacifier with a preliminary farewell ceremony (jokingly, of course). The main thing is to convey to the child not only the importance and finality of the decision being made, but also so that he understands this action as a stage in his growing up. In response to his willpower, you can give the baby a gift.

Of course, you will have to endure vagaries for a couple of days, especially at night. But, in this matter, the main thing is not to give up and stand your ground. The pacifier is gone. There are, of course, exceptions - when the whims continue for more than 10 days. In this case, you can return the pacifier and postpone weaning for a while.

Most children wean themselves off the pacifier before the age of 3, so the main thing for parents is to not force it on their child out of habit and to catch this moment of refusal.

One of the effective ways is to wean yourself off the pacifier on vacation when you and your whole family go away and change your environment. Discuss with your child that you are going on vacation, but the pacifier remains at home (for children 2-3 years old). Positive emotions and a new place will help the child forget about the habit. Not everyone, of course; for some, a new place is a lot of stress and it’s better to do it at home.

The most important task is not just to take the pacifier away from the child, but to wait for the right moment when the child himself is ready and the environment is favorable.

The appearance of a baby in a family is almost always accompanied by a lot of controversial issues. Not the least example is the issue of pacifiers - how to wean a child off a pacifier and is it even necessary? And if previously our mothers and grandmothers believed that the baby would throw out the pacifier on his own, now doctors advise getting rid of this habit as early as possible.

The sucking reflex is a natural necessity of every baby, its main need. Normally, it should be present from the first days of life, otherwise neonatologists note physiological or neurological disorders.

Breastfeeding is necessary for the baby to survive: we cannot escape this natural instinct. Some babies can “hang” on their mother’s chest for an hour to satisfy the sucking reflex, even if they have been full for a long time. However, everyday life makes its own adjustments and the mother cannot constantly be near the baby, so she offers him a silicone breast substitute - a pacifier. With a pacifier, the child becomes much calmer when the mother is not around. A crying baby calms down faster when given a pacifier. In addition, there are several other positive aspects of its use:

Arguments for using a pacifier

A pacifier will be an excellent substitute if you need to quickly calm your baby. A baby who has fallen on the asphalt or has a slight temperature in his crib will be able to distract himself and become less restless with the help of a pacifier.
The pacifier will become an indispensable assistant for a mother who wants to limit her baby’s consumption of breast milk or formula (for example, if the baby is overweight) without disturbing the sucking reflex.
If the baby, satisfying the sucking reflex, pulls a blanket, diaper or fingers into his mouth, then of all these “evils” it is more correct to choose the least - a pacifier.
According to doctors, a pacifier protects a child in the first months of life from sudden infant death syndrome. This is due to the fact that its ring will allow air to penetrate, even if the baby is covered with his head.
Anatomically correct pacifiers (with a beveled top), according to orthodontists, do not affect the bite and formation of the dentition. But an incorrect bite occurs due to the protrusion of the jaw at the moment of sucking a bottle, and not a pacifier.

Harm from sucking a pacifier

Despite such powerful arguments in favor of the pacifier, doctors note the negative consequences of the “silicone friend”:

Violation of the natural habit of chewing food;
Frequent colic, belching;
Irregular growth of teeth;
Speech delay and the appearance of speech defects that become noticeable when the child pronounces hissing sounds;
Delayed intellectual development;
Provoking psychological immaturity;
The appearance of frequent infectious diseases of the oral cavity (stomatitis, thrush);
Distracting the child from the perception of the world around him.

The negative consequences of using pacifiers are quite arbitrary; they have been studied for a long time, but precise statistics have not yet been provided.

The famous pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky also insists that a pacifier does not cause any harm to the child, and the desire to wean the baby off the pacifier is dictated from the outside: by the mother-in-law, neighbors, passers-by who look reproachfully at the mother and baby with the pacifier.

The doctor sees the reason for the negative consequences listed above in poor ecology, heredity, and the individual characteristics of the child’s body. For example, if a child inherits an anatomically narrow jaw, then the dentition will one way or another be formed with deviations, and the pacifier has nothing to do with it.

Is it worth training?

A pacifier, like a diaper, is more needed by the baby’s mother than by the baby himself.

Therefore, you should not introduce a pacifier into your baby’s life if:

The mother has enough time for the baby to satisfy the sucking reflex, staying at the breast as much as he wants;
The child himself spits out the pacifier;
The baby knows how to calm down and distract himself after crying, for example, after seeing an interesting toy.

If a pacifier makes life easier for mom, then why not? But time passes, it’s time for the child to develop and forget the pacifier. When is the time to do this?

When is it time to unlearn

The older your baby gets, the more difficult it is for him to part with the pacifier. This means that it is the mother who must take a principled position and make this separation as less painful as possible. At what age can you wean off the pacifier?

Pediatricians consider the optimal age for weaning from a pacifier to be under 1 year of age.

It is easier to wean a child off a pacifier at 1 year old than at 2 or 3 years old, because it is easier to switch the baby’s attention to another subject. And psychological dependence is not yet so strongly formed. Even a 1.5 year old child can still be weaned “painlessly”. But as experience shows, the easiest time for babies to say goodbye to their “silicone friend” is when they introduce their first complementary foods: at about 6-8 months. During this period, the baby’s life changes, new taste sensations and feeding rituals appear. At this age, it is easy to switch the baby’s attention from the pacifier to baby utensils: spoons, plates or a new sippy cup.

A nibbler can be an interesting option for replacing a pacifier. This is a mesh (or silicone container with holes) and a convenient handle for introducing complementary foods. You can put grated or chopped vegetables and fruits in the nibbler, the baby will suck, receiving vitamins, while large pieces of pulp and seeds will remain inside. However, for safety reasons, the presence of adults while the child is sucking the nibbler is mandatory!

Svetlana, mother of Alice, 1 year old: “I started introducing raw apples at 7 months using a nibbler. I cut them into pieces, put them in a net and gave them to my daughter. Lisyona herself refused the pacifier and began asking for a nibbler. I especially liked to chew on a quarter of a banana in a net.”

If before the age of 2 years the baby did not have time to part with the pacifier, then the farewell process becomes more complicated. To wean a child off a pacifier at 2 years old, you need to remember about such a difficult stage in a child’s life as the “two-year-old crisis.” This period is characterized by whims, hysterics and the desire to do the opposite. Therefore, requests to give up the pacifier at this age will most likely be ignored.

At 3 years old, weaning off the pacifier will be easier, since you can already come to an agreement with the baby. You can explain that small children need a pacifier, but he is already big. Or tell a fictitious story about another baby whose teeth began to hurt from sucking his pacifier for too long.

Statistics provide specific figures at what age children gave up the pacifier:

6% of babies were never introduced to a pacifier;
about 7% – refuse a pacifier before the age of one year,
20% – in one and a half years
19% – in two years
46% do this from two to three years.

Indeed, it is rare to see a toddler walking at 3 years old with a pacifier. Therefore, you should not torment yourself with the question of how to wean a child from a pacifier at 2 years old. Your baby will most likely separate independently and painlessly from his silicone friend at the age of two or three.

The main thing is not to turn the presence of a pacifier in a child’s life into a problem and not to focus attention on it.

You can find many ways to help your baby part with the pacifier painlessly.

How to wean a child off a pacifier

It is possible to wean a baby off a pacifier at any age; the main thing is that parents have the patience to go through the entire process from start to finish. Let's look at a few tips to help your child break the habit of sucking a pacifier.

Attention switching method

To quickly wean yourself off the pacifier, you can use physical and emotional stress. Take a few days off and devote them only to the baby. Spend the first day with your child in active recreation and with positive emotions, then bathe him in a bath with lavender herbs and put him to bed. In this case, close contact with parents is required. When the child is tired, he won’t even remember about the pacifier, and the next morning should start just as actively. Psychologists say that within five to seven days the baby will forget about the pacifier.

Elena (25 years old) says: “My 1.5-year-old daughter, while walking with us at the zoo, dropped her pacifier herself, but did not cry over the loss, because there was someone to turn her attention to. We threw the pacifier into the trash, and Dasha forgot about it. It’s strange, but since then we haven’t thought about the pacifier.”

Music as medicine

Another option for switching attention is to give your child a musical instrument that you can play with your mouth: a harmonica, a pipe, even a simple whistle. A little noise, but the goal will be achieved. In addition, psychologists have proven the effectiveness of stress relief through sounds. Even just shouting loudly will be useful to throw out the negativity.

Smooth pacifier cessation

To wean your child off the pacifier gradually and without stress, you need to follow the rules:
Keep the pacifier out of sight during the day. To prevent your baby from thinking about her during the day, come up with different activities in advance. Creativity and active play will work great.
Do not take a pacifier for a walk. If a baby bursts into tears on the street, he can be distracted by a lot of interesting things or events happening around him: a bird flew, a dog ran. You cannot shame the child at this moment, otherwise he will be even more offended.
Try to get your baby to fall asleep without a pacifier. While getting ready for bed, he can hold the pacifier in his mouth while you read him a story or sing a lullaby. For children over 2 years old, you can tell an instructive story about a baby and a pacifier. Give free rein to your imagination, but don't tell scary stories. After such rituals, invite the baby to take out the pacifier and place it next to it. If your baby refuses, ask him to exchange the pacifier for a favorite toy that will help him fall asleep. If your baby does fall asleep with a pacifier, remove it. Every day, invite your baby to try to fall asleep without a pacifier; sooner or later, he will agree.

You cannot forcefully remove a pacifier from a child’s mouth if he does not want to part with it. This will lead to nothing but hysteria.

Ritual of farewell

For some children, the ritual of “farewell to the pacifier” will be interesting. If parents see that the child does not suffer without a pacifier, but out of habit cannot part with it, they need to explain to him that parting with the pacifier is inevitable, but we will do it as a holiday. To do this you can:

Buy an envelope, write an address on it, for example, “a little bunny in the deep forest,” put the pacifier in the envelope, seal it and give it to dad, who will “take it to the post office.”
If the child does not want to share the pacifier with anyone, the “send the pacifier on a trip” option is suitable. The execution option is suitable either with an envelope or simply throwing it into the river.
After this ritual, you can arrange a small “celebration”. If your baby suddenly remembers the pacifier, you should tell him that he is already an adult and will no longer need a pacifier. This will once again strengthen the child’s self-confidence and will not traumatize his psyche.

Drastic weaning from the pacifier is not welcomed by doctors, but some parents successfully use this method in practice. To do this, you just need to remove the pacifier from the baby’s field of vision once and for all. If the baby cries a lot, parents should not follow the lead and return the pacifier - after a while the child will not even remember about it.

How to wean yourself off the pacifier

The decision on how to wean a child off the pacifier must not only be made on time, but also correctly implemented. You cannot decide for no reason when to wean your child off the pacifier, because the baby does not obey your wishes. Otherwise, parents can harm the child’s psyche, and make the weaning process itself more painful for the baby and problematic for themselves. So what not to do when weaning your baby off a pacifier:

You can't wean your baby off a pacifier when he's sick., overstressed, feeling an emotional decline. During this period, any disturbance in the internal balance of a small person can lead to an even worsening of the problem.
Don't offer to give a pacifier to another baby. Children at a young age are very jealous of their property. A child considers a pacifier, like his mother, his favorite car or doll, his property. Therefore, forcing a baby to give a pacifier to another “lala” is to instill a feeling of hatred towards another child, even an imaginary one. Greed in a child is a natural feeling, driven by the instinct of self-preservation. When the time comes, the baby himself can proudly give away the pacifier, but not under pressure from his parents.
Do not lubricate the pacifier with bitter or sour products(mustard, pepper, lemon, aloe juice), since this will only cause tears, excessive drooling and unpleasant memories. After the baby calms down, he will begin to demand the pacifier again.
Don't humiliate your child, taking the pacifier from him. There is no need to point out that he is a crybaby, small and should be ashamed of his behavior. In this case, nothing but an inferiority complex will be brought up. And do not compare your child with other children, because every person, even the smallest one, is an individual person.
Don't cut the pacifier. There is such a method - gradually cutting off the tip of the pacifier. As a rule, children become uncomfortable and throw the pacifier themselves. However, the method has a drawback: a damaged silicone nipple can scratch the baby's tongue or gums. And even worse, he may bite off a piece of the pacifier and choke. Therefore, this method is unsafe!
You should not offer your child a gift for a pacifier. This technique is actively used in practice, but it has “side effects”. The baby will understand that parents are ready to buy a car, chocolate, or a trip to the circus in order not only to get what they want, but also to please the baby. In this case, the practice of exchange may become a tradition and only then will it be difficult to explain anything to the child. If you want to reward your baby for giving up the pacifier, give the gift after a while without making giving up the pacifier a condition.
You can't stop falling asleep with a pacifier when your baby is teething. Teething is a hectic and painful process for most children. Therefore, when teething, the child begins to squeeze the pacifier, trying to alleviate his suffering. In addition, the baby concentrates less on pain when he holds the pacifier in his mouth.
Don't let yourself be manipulated, if you are determined to take the pacifier away from your child. You shouldn’t return your old pacifier or buy a new one after the first tantrum. The baby should not feel that his screams and tears influenced the parents’ decisions, otherwise the parents will become eternal wish-fulfillers, and family relationships may move to the consumer level. But if suddenly the baby’s psychological state has become unstable, he begins to cry more often and this does not go away within several days, then it is better to buy him a new pacifier. Otherwise, your desire to wean your child off the pacifier will lead to psychological trauma for the child.

Doesn't sleep well

Daytime nap

Hysterics

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

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

"Pros and cons"

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

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

helps satisfy the sucking reflex;

calms the child, puts him to sleep;

stimulates intestinal motility, develops facial muscles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to choose the “right” pacifier

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

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

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

Latex pacifiers are yellow, silicone pacifiers are white. Both of them last a long time, unlike the rubber ones that our grandmothers used when they were little. However, silicone ones 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 for the child’s age. “One” in size is up to six months, and “two” is after six months. There is also a “troika” - after a year and a half. Foreign manufacturers designate these sizes accordingly with the letters of the Latin alphabet - A, B, C.

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

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

Pacifier and bite

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

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

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

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

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

How to wean a child off a pacifier?

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

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

The parents' action algorithm should be as follows:

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