At what time should a child be weaned off a pacifier? At what age should a child be weaned off 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:

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.
"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.
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:

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.
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.
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:

If a sedative is required only when it is in full view of the child, then the weaning process can begin immediately.
You can replace the pacifier with 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:

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.
Giving a pacifier is allowed only at the request of the child himself; you should not just show it.
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.

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

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

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

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

Why wean your child off a pacifier?

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

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

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

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

When should you do this?

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

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

How NOT to wean yourself off a pacifier

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

So, you can't:

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

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

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

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

How to do it?

Only with love and patience.

Gradual, slow weaning

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

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

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

Quick weaning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary for parents

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

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

I have friends. Amazing people with an amazing little daughter. And everything would have been fine, but she didn’t let the pacifier out of her mouth until she was 2.5 years old.

Most likely, she would have continued to love her if, during the medical examination in the garden, the doctor had not referred her to an orthodontist due to an incorrect bite. The problem was caused by the nipple. How to solve it, read the article on how to wean your child off a pacifier.

The controversy surrounding the pacifier does not subside for a minute. Moreover, not only experienced and novice mothers argue, but also the experts themselves. On the one hand, the pacifier is evil. It spoils the bite, which in turn leads to incorrect pronunciation of sounds. In addition, the psychological aspect plays a role: it is believed that a child occupied with it has less need to understand the world and develops worse.

On the other hand, a pacifier helps to realize the sucking reflex, thereby improving the child’s appetite, and this is its main advantage. Also, all children love to fall asleep with a pacifier. If it is not there, the chest comes into play. This is not always convenient, mothers say from experience. For example, if a child wants to sleep on the street, you will have to look for a secluded place to feed and calm him down.

Summarizing all of the above, I would like to note that it is necessary and important, but for the time being. Do you know when to wean yourself off it? According to psychologists, you should start as early as 3 months. Then, provided the correct efforts are made, the baby will completely refuse the pacifier within one year. Previously, it was impossible to deprive him of his favorite toy. The teeth will come out, and the baby will pull into his mouth everything that comes to hand.

By the way, these recommendations cannot always be implemented in practice. There are children who, by 2–3 months, only begin to actively take the pacifier. There are even later ones. There were precedents when children took a pacifier at the time of teething to scratch their gums.

Interestingly, when it comes to a dummy, it is never too late to work against it. So, the optimal time for refusal is up to a year. If you couldn’t or didn’t have time, you can extend it up to one and a half years. The deadline for graduation is 2 years. True, there are children who cannot part with the pacifier even later, but you should not look up to them. Otherwise, history, like that of my friends, may repeat itself.

It is believed that the main danger of a baby loving a pacifier for too long is a damaged bite and various dental problems. This can be clearly seen in the photo.

How to wean correctly at different ages

According to psychologists, it is impossible to take away a favorite toy until one is a year old, otherwise the child will experience extreme stress. The situation will be aggravated by teething, because of which neither the baby nor the mother will sleep at night. At the same time, it is these specialists who claim that the first signs of readiness for refusal are observed at the age of 3 – 6 months. What are they?

We are talking about situations when the baby throws the pacifier as soon as he falls asleep, or does not remember about it until he sees it. Of course, this does not mean that you should suddenly deprive your infant of a pacifier. He will feel the need to suck, but less often. As a result, you will not need to give him a pacifier so often. Each time it is important to extend the time without her.

To do this without harm to your own nervous system, it is important to occupy the baby with other things: a fairy tale, a lullaby, stroking until he falls asleep. During the day you can distract yourself with games and walks. It is believed that this is exactly the period when it will be possible to quickly and easily wean a child off a pacifier. If the moment is missed, it’s time to stock up on patience; you will definitely need it in the future.

From 6 months to 2 years

At the age of six months to 2 years, it is more difficult for a child to forget about the pacifier. He understands a lot and perceives her sucking as an obligatory ritual before going to bed. To avoid harm, under no circumstances should you suddenly take away your favorite toy. This can cause extreme stress in the baby, which is not surprising.

Now the pacifier is part of the familiar world for him. By taking it away, you are destroying this world and causing serious unrest and anxiety. The baby does not think about the fact that the little thing can cause harm, especially since his mother herself once gave it to him.

The key to success is gradualism. To achieve this, psychologists recommend:

Slowly remove the bottle as soon as the baby has learned to drink from the cup. This usually occurs between 7 and 8 months of age. With a bottle, the nipple will also be forgotten.
Give a favorite toy only in case of urgent need. There are situations when the baby is capricious and the parents, in order to distract him, put a pacifier in his mouth. Needless to say, this is wrong and we need to get rid of it.
Provide your baby with enough toys to play with. Children as young as 1.5 years old can take a pacifier out of boredom. If you now occupy them with new things that can be explored by touch and even taste, the pacifier will lose its primary importance.

It is also important, as before, to make changes to the usual ritual, distracting from sucking the pacifier with other activities.

After 2 years

Reviews from mothers on forums indicate that it is easiest to give up your favorite toy once you reach the age of two. At this time, it’s easy to come up with a story to explain the loss, and the baby will believe it. My friends, whom I talked about at the beginning, did just that. By mutual desire, they gave the pacifier to the mouse: she really asked for it. In return, the mouse brought a new doll. Everyone was satisfied and happy and “cryed” for only a day or two: they really liked the doll.

The story may have other options for the development of events: it was given to a wizard for the fulfillment of a wish, lost, stolen (Carlson flew in and took a pacifier for a newly born little boy). By the way, in no case should you compare a baby with older children or call him small for his reluctance to give up his favorite toy. He doesn't need unnecessary worries.

It’s interesting that when asked how to painlessly wean someone off the pacifier if history doesn’t really help, psychologists advise diversifying the child’s leisure time. Games, walks, tickle nursery rhymes are suitable. They will captivate and distract, replacing a baby's pacifier.

How to stop falling asleep with a pacifier

As already mentioned, to wean your baby from sleeping with a pacifier, you just need to replace the obligatory ritual. Once again, when putting him to bed, turn your attention to a fairy tale, which you need to tell in a sweet, soothing voice. Lullabies and stroking are also suitable. It makes sense to suggest to an older child to close his eyes and try to fall asleep without a pacifier.

The main thing is to wait the first 20 - 30 minutes, remaining calm and not losing your temper with the child. It will get easier with each subsequent day. The younger the child, the more painless everything will be. As a rule, everything takes 3 – 5 days. In order for the baby to be less upset during this period, it is only important to exhaust him well during the day, and then only by touching the pillow, he will fall asleep soundly.

At 3 years old, you can take away the child’s pacifier in exchange for a toy with which he can now sleep. It will calm and lull you to sleep, in a word, it will replace your favorite “antidepressant”.

Interestingly, in extreme cases, if you cannot give up the pacifier on your own, it makes sense to consult a dentist. Sometimes he picks up the vestibular plate. It is a product made of elastic plastic with silicone linings for the chewing group of teeth. Its advantage is that it seems to satisfy the reflex and does not affect the bite.

What not to do

While looking for information on how to wean off a pacifier correctly, I came across a lot of articles that advised parents on things that were not entirely reasonable. For example:

Smear the pacifier with something bitter to provoke disgust in the baby. Doing this is strictly prohibited, since not even all adults are able to tolerate mustard, pepper, garlic and other spices that are used, let alone a child. Moreover, it is also unsafe. In recent years, the number of allergy sufferers has only been increasing, and the products described above can cause serious allergic reactions in them, including swelling or spasm of the throat.
Cut the pacifier. In general, violence against a son or daughter’s favorite thing, and even in front of his eyes, is fraught, because children take everything too close to their hearts. In addition, such actions can end in disaster, for example, if a child bites off a piece of rubber. At best, it will end up in his stomach (you must agree, this is not the best place for it), and at worst, it will stick to the mucous membrane of the throat, provoking spasms and suffocation.
Yell at your child or get angry when he asks for his favorite “sedative” back. This will not help the matter, but will only harm, and the baby will cry more. The surest way is to distract, lure with something else.
Wean off the pacifier during periods of illness, colic during ARVI. When children are sick, they are especially vulnerable and they simply need a pacifier to alleviate their condition. Give it, and postpone the weaning process until better times, and everyone will be happy.

At the same time, if once the decision was made to give up the pacifier, it is also impossible to back down. This will only make the situation even worse.

If you can't wean

Dr. Komarovsky answered this question well in one of his messages. According to him, there are children whose sucking reflex is too developed, and they continue to be soothed by a pacifier even after reaching the age of three. There is no need to scold them, let alone shame them for this. The time will come when they themselves will throw away their toy.

It is important for parents to be patient during this period, but not only in order to slowly and confidently do everything to wean themselves from the addiction. It is extremely important to withstand judgment from the outside. Often, under pressure from neighbors and relatives who like to shame the baby and his parents because of the pacifier, hasty decisions are made. But everything has its time. After all, no one has ever gone to school with a pacifier.

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

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

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

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

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

Why does pacifier addiction occur?

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

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

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

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

"Underfed"

"Flukes"

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

"Survivors of Trauma"

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

Is a pacifier harmful to a baby?

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

What do doctors say about this?

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

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

When should weaning start?

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

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

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

Four methods of giving up pacifiers

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

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

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

According to this method, it is necessary:

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

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

Abrupt refusal: for children aged 1.5 years and older

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

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

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

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

Cancellation within a week - is it possible?

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

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

Action plan:

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

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

STOPPI for children from two years old

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

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

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

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

So, general advice on this matter would be:

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

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

Communication is the mother of unlearning

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

Drinking is not harmful to health

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

Bedtime story - problem solving

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

Daytime games are so much fun!

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

Out of sight, out of mind

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

What should you not do during the weaning process?

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

Damage the pacifier

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

Lubricate it with food preparations

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

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

Yell at a child

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

Start weaning while sick

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

What to do in case of a “relapse”?

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

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

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

In what cases is emergency pacifier withdrawal necessary?

Excessive attachment to the pacifier

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

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

Explain the situation

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

"Lose" the pacifier

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

“Spoil” the pacifier

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

Hearing or speech defects

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

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

Summing up

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

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

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

The baby begins to suck his finger while still in his mother’s belly. In the first months and years of a child's life, the sucking reflex is very strong. Over time, this need weakens, but does not disappear completely. There comes a time when it is necessary to stop this practice, and then the question arises: how to wean a child from a pacifier (pacifier)?

The easiest way is not to accustom your baby to a pacifier at all. For a baby who is fed breast milk, a pacifier is practically not needed, even if he is fed not on demand, but by the hour. But for a formula-fed baby, a pacifier is simply necessary, because drinking artificial formula from a bottle is easier than drinking milk from the mother’s breast. The artificial baby needs a pacifier in order to develop motor skills of the facial muscles, so that he can learn to speak.

From this article you will learn:

The pacifier offers many benefits for babies and parents. Here they are:

When a small child sucks something (a finger or a pacifier), he experiences a state of happiness and calm.
The pacifier helps the baby fall asleep.
The pacifier distracts the baby during unpleasant procedures, such as vaccinations.
Using a pacifier significantly reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Sucking a pacifier distracts the baby during the flight, calms him and reduces discomfort caused by changes in air pressure. The process of sucking can relieve ear congestion.
It is much easier to wean a child from sucking a pacifier than from sucking his own finger, because the pacifier can be taken away, hidden, cut up and thrown away.

Why a pacifier can be dangerous

Although it has already been scientifically proven that the pacifier cannot cause any harm to the child’s health, and the crooked teeth are not at all related to whether the child sucks on a pacifier or not, there is a negative aspect of this phenomenon that those who are wondering how to wean their baby from nipples.

In the seventh month of a baby's life, the sucking reflex naturally fades away. Until this age, a child simply needs to suck in order to eat, but for an older baby, sucking a finger or a pacifier is already a bad habit. But parting with the pacifier is difficult because the process is reminiscent of mother’s care and evokes a feeling of security. It is very difficult to say goodbye to this, but the child needs to gradually grow up.

Children who cannot refuse a pacifier for a long time are socialized later - they begin to talk later than their peers. A pacifier in a baby’s mouth prevents him from repeating the sounds and words that adults pronounce. Lack of development of speech and communication skills leads to underdevelopment of thinking.

Very often, too busy parents who do not spend enough time with their child are “saved” by pacifiers. Such a child grows up infantile, lethargic, and is not interested in anything. In this case, sucking helps the baby compensate for the lack of parental love and attention, because the child feels forgotten and unwanted.

The best time for babies to be weaned off the pacifier is around eight to nine months. Of course, nothing bad will happen if the baby continues to suck a pacifier even until he is two or three years old, but it is advisable to wean him off as early as possible. To understand how to wean a child off a pacifier (pacifier), you need to understand why the baby is attached to this habit.

False beliefs about pacifiers

Excessive attachment to a pacifier is not an addiction that is extremely difficult to get rid of. This is simply one of the myths. The practice of using this item is replete with misconceptions. Here are some of them:

Every baby needs to use a pacifier. A newborn baby is taught to use a pacifier immediately after returning from the maternity hospital, but the baby constantly spits it out. Don't force your baby to put a pacifier in his mouth - if he doesn't want to suck on the pacifier, leave him alone.
When teething, a pacifier is a must. In fact, it is better to use special rings with coolant inside. They ease the child's suffering and massage the gums.
It is completely contraindicated to “disinfect” a baby’s pacifier with parental saliva. In the mouth of even a completely healthy adult with absolutely healthy teeth and gums there are many bacteria that can harm the delicate body of a baby. If the pacifier falls on the floor, it is best to sterilize it and give the baby a new pacifier.
In order to quickly wean a child off the pacifier, you need to smear it with something bitter, mustard, for example. This should under no circumstances be done. An unusual and unpleasant taste can cause severe stress in the baby, which in the future can even lead to digestive disorders.

There are painless and non-traumatic ways to wean your baby off the pacifier.

How to wean yourself off the pacifier without psychological trauma

It is advisable for the child part with the pacifier for up to a year because then the stress will be low. In two days, the baby will completely calmly forget about his favorite object. At the age of one and a half to two years, it is already necessary to “agree” with the child: “exchange” the pacifier for a new toy, “give it” to a dog or squirrel, say that the pacifier was stolen by a mouse, etc.

In this situation, the most important thing is to be firm - the pacifier is no longer there, there won’t be any more, and there is no way to buy another one. You can use a little trick - gradually cut off small pieces from the pacifier until it becomes completely unusable and the child refuses it himself. Just don’t cut off half the nipple at once, otherwise a scandal is guaranteed.

The sucking reflex fades away between the eighth month of life and a year, and the chewing reflex takes its place. You need to take advantage of this - offer your child a crust of bread or a dryer instead of a pacifier. When the teeth begin to erupt, food can be given in pieces. Gradually limit the time you use the pacifier.

You can occupy your child's mouth with something else - let him learn to play the pipe, whistle, sing or blow soap bubbles. You can leave a pacifier only in extreme cases - when the child cannot calm down or fall asleep. But then you still need to carefully remove the pacifier from the baby’s mouth.

Organize a ritual of “farewell” to the pacifier. Tell your child that in a few days the fairy will come with a gift, but for the gift you will need to give a pacifier. The baby will have enough time to prepare for this sad event; a gift from the fairy will smooth out the bitterness of the “parting”.

A child reaches for a pacifier when he experiences stress and negative emotions - sadness, fatigue, boredom, so try to find an interesting activity for him, let him hold his favorite toy, read a book, stay with him for a while. Take your baby for a walk, organize games and meetings with friends on the street and at home.

Let the child be busy with pleasant and useful things. If a child's social circle expands, he will see that many of his peers no longer use a pacifier. This will help him break his old habit. New interests and hobbies will displace the usual pacifier from the baby’s life.

Psychological Causes of Rejection Difficulties

To understand how you can wean a child off a pacifier, it is necessary to analyze the psychological reasons that make it difficult to quickly get rid of this habit. The most common of them are:

The baby needs extra care and attention. The pacifier is associated for the child with the mother's breast, with the feeding process, with a feeling of security and serenity. Children with a deficiency of this need can be recognized by their lack of sociability and passivity. How to wean a child from a pacifier in this situation? Spend more time communicating with your baby and playing together. If you cannot devote a lot of time to your child for various reasons, then try to fill your short time together with vivid emotions and experiences, and devote all your attention exclusively to the baby.
The child does not want to grow up. Tell your child how interesting it is to be an adult, that adults know and can do a lot. Convince the baby that he has already grown up, become big, and adults do not use pacifiers. Instead of using a pacifier, create an “adult” activity for your child.
The child returned to the pacifier again when he went to kindergarten. This is a kind of reaction to stress caused by a new environment and unusual surroundings. In this situation, the pacifier reminds him of the familiar, stable and safe - home and mother. How to wean your baby off the pacifier in this situation? Give him another “piece of home” with you, such as his favorite toys. Every day you can give your child a box in kindergarten with a surprise from mom and dad, which he can open after breakfast. This will remind your baby of home and make him feel better.

Parents still give their baby liquid formula and bottled drinks. To wean your baby off the pacifier, stop using it completely and let your child drink from a mug or cup. Of course, this will be children's plastic dishes, but in this way you can show the child that he is already an adult and behaves like adults who also drink from mugs and cups. Be patient with your baby spilling drinks and dirtying the table - the baby's motor skills will develop, and positive results will not be long in coming.

The biggest mistake is to shame a child for sucking a pacifier “like a little one.” This method can only lead to psychological trauma. On the contrary, praise the baby for not sucking the pacifier for a long time. During this period, try not to burden him with new tasks, for example, potty training, because the abundance of new tasks can lead to stress for the child. And the reaction to stress can be a return to the pacifier.