How to wean a baby from a nipple
For many mothers, the nipple becomes a "magic wand" in the fight against the whims and restless sleep of their baby, for the child, "communication" with her very quickly turns into a habit. Time goes by, the baby is growing up and it's time to part with his favorite subject. Here the question arises, how to make separation from a pacifier pass as easy as possible for him?
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When to wean a baby from a nipple
First of all, parents should remember that there are no specific deadlines and age norms that require that they immediately take the pacifier from the baby after their expiration. Each baby is individual, therefore, it is necessary to carefully observe his behavior and evaluate his readiness for this ourselves.
In breastfed babies, the sucking reflex is especially developed up to 3 months, in babies who are bottle fed, it lasts up to 6 months. It is generally accepted that after this age the child no longer experiences the physiological need for a nipple and it becomes a simple habit.
It happens that the baby during this period is already ready to give up the nipple, and begins to give various signals. The mother's task is to notice and recognize them in time. For example, if during the day a child remembers a dummy very rarely or completely forgets about it, and at night he can fall asleep without her help, then you can act!
After a year, the process of parting with a nipple becomes more difficult, so parents should be patient, persistent and, if necessary, use various tricks and tricks.
Some children on their own refuse a dummy only when they start going to kindergarten, where they see that other children do without it.
It is very important to remember that the "friendship" with the pacifier can be completed only in a calm period for the child, he must be healthy and be in his usual environment and surroundings.
Weaning your baby off the pacifier: good advice for parents
To make parting with a pacifier as easy as possible for parents and a child, you can use the following methods and recommendations:
- To begin with, parents themselves must decisively tune in to the process of giving up the nipple. During this period, it is extremely important to pay as much attention as possible to your baby, play with him and distract him. After all, parting with a favorite subject is a great stress for him.
- It is categorically impossible to scold the kid, raise his voice at him, tease and deceive, frighten with various "horror stories". All these actions will not give the desired result, but only spoil the relationship with the child, undermine his confidence, and may even lead to psychological trauma.
- You can try to "lose" the nipple at home and see the reaction of the baby. If he is hysterical, demands a dummy and does not want anything else in return, it would be better to return it and wait for a more appropriate time.
- In the presence of a child, adults should not mention the pacifier in conversations, so he will be able to forget it faster.
- It would be a good idea to offer to give a pacifier to a younger child, for example, a brother or sister (if any) or a neighbor's baby, explaining that he is still small and needs it very much.
- With a child over 1.5 years old, you can use your imagination and ingenuity. For example, tell him a story about little animals, or fairy-tale characters who really need a dummy, or offer to give it to your favorite toy. You can hang it on a tree in the park or bury it in the yard, accompanying all these actions with some interesting story.
- The "classic" way is to gradually cut off a small piece from the nipple until one base remains and explain that it has broken. The kid will be uncomfortable and unusual to use it, and perhaps he himself will quickly abandon it.
