Babies and Pacifiers - When to Break the Habit
Pacifiers are great tools for babies to fall asleep, to calm down and to develop sucking reflexes.
In fact, researchers have found that babies who suck on pacifiers during their first 6 months have lesser risks for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Thus, pediatricians from the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommend the use of pacifiers for babies.
No Hard and Fast Rule Still, the questions remains: When do you break the pacifier habit? Well, there is no hard and fast rule on the matter as parents have their reasons for weaning their children from the pacifier early like at one year of age or later like 3 years of age.
Add in the fact that children often have their own timetables and you have a case of being flexible about breaking the pacifier habit.
There is one rule, however, that parents must not break when weaning the child away from the pacifier.
You must never traumatize your children at anytime during the process because it might set the precedent for other transitions in childhood such as moving from crib to toddler bed and from home to pre-school.
Reasons for Weaning During infancy and early babyhood, pacifier use is alright.
It is when your child becomes a toddler that you might want to start considering weaning him away from the pacifier since you want to avoid dental problems like protruding teeth.
Other compelling reasons for weaning your child include observed limitations on language skills because of excessive amount of time spent sucking instead of talking, the child's abnormal reluctance to switching from bottle to cup for daytime milk drinking, the inability to calm down over frustrations without the use of the pacifier, and the resorting to the pacifier to ease his boredom.
Tips on Breaking the Habit When you do decide to break your child's pacifier habit, you must not expect sudden transformations in a day.
As a parent, you have to patiently guide him through the weaning process with these tips:
Just remember to exercise patience and provide plenty of love.
In fact, researchers have found that babies who suck on pacifiers during their first 6 months have lesser risks for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Thus, pediatricians from the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommend the use of pacifiers for babies.
No Hard and Fast Rule Still, the questions remains: When do you break the pacifier habit? Well, there is no hard and fast rule on the matter as parents have their reasons for weaning their children from the pacifier early like at one year of age or later like 3 years of age.
Add in the fact that children often have their own timetables and you have a case of being flexible about breaking the pacifier habit.
There is one rule, however, that parents must not break when weaning the child away from the pacifier.
You must never traumatize your children at anytime during the process because it might set the precedent for other transitions in childhood such as moving from crib to toddler bed and from home to pre-school.
Reasons for Weaning During infancy and early babyhood, pacifier use is alright.
It is when your child becomes a toddler that you might want to start considering weaning him away from the pacifier since you want to avoid dental problems like protruding teeth.
Other compelling reasons for weaning your child include observed limitations on language skills because of excessive amount of time spent sucking instead of talking, the child's abnormal reluctance to switching from bottle to cup for daytime milk drinking, the inability to calm down over frustrations without the use of the pacifier, and the resorting to the pacifier to ease his boredom.
Tips on Breaking the Habit When you do decide to break your child's pacifier habit, you must not expect sudden transformations in a day.
As a parent, you have to patiently guide him through the weaning process with these tips:
- If your child is turning to the pacifier in times of boredom, you should provide for fun activities that will distract him from using it.
Think of art activities designed to make his hands busy.
- When your child insists on using the pacifier despite the fun activities laid out for him, you should sing a song or recite a nursery rhyme with him.
This way, he is again distracted from it whilst giving his mouth another activity.
- You should start taking the necessary steps from bottle to cup when giving him his milk.
He should then slowly but surely be encouraged to sip instead of suck.
- You also need to guide your child in expressing his frustrations instead of venting them out on the pacifier.
Usually, teaching him sign language or a few more words will do the trick.
- Your child should also be encouraged to have a say in the process.
Most children will stop the pacifier habit on their own once they reach two years of age, which means that it should not be too hard a problem for parents.
- You can use rewards to encourage your child to drop the habit.
Just remember to exercise patience and provide plenty of love.
