To take the baby's pacifier, parents need to adopt strategies such as explaining to the child that he is already big and no longer needs the pacifier, encouraging him to throw it out in the trash or give it to someone else, in addition, whenever the child remembers the pacifier must be distracted by another situation so that she forgets the pacifier.
This process of removing the pacifier can be complicated and time consuming, requiring a lot of patience from the parents, because the child may be irritated and cry asking for the pacifier. However, it is important to remove the pacifier before 3 years of age because from that stage it becomes harmful to the development of the child's jaws, teeth and speech.
See also 7 tips for taking your child's bottle.
What to do for the child to drop the pacifier
To remove the pacifier from the child, it is necessary to define strategies, such as:
- Tell the child that older children do not use a pacifier; When leaving the house, explain to the child that the pacifier stays at home; Use the pacifier only to sleep and take it out of the child's mouth when he falls asleep; Explain to the child that she no longer needs the pacifier and encourage her to throw the pacifier in the trash; ask the child to give the pacifier to her cousin, younger brother, Santa Claus or any other figure she admires; whenever the child asks for the pacifier, distracted talking about something else or offering another toy; praise the baby when he is able to stay without the pacifier for a while, create a table and offer little stars whenever he thinks the child has overcome the desire for the pacifier; take advantage when the pacifier is getting spoiled for encourage the child to throw it away; take the child to the dentist so that he explains in a simple way that the pacifier can bend the teeth.
In most cases, it is necessary to adopt all these strategies simultaneously so that the child leaves the pacifier more easily.
How can parents help?
In this process of dropping the pacifier, it is essential that parents do not back down with the decision. It is normal for the baby to cry, throw a tantrum and get very angry, but you have to be patient and understand that this step is necessary.
For example, if you have defined that the pacifier is only to be used during sleep and during the day it is not used, it cannot be delivered to the child during the day for any reason, because that way, the child will understand that if he throws tantrums, he can the pacifier again.
Why drop the pacifier?
The use of a pacifier after 3 years of age can cause changes in the mouth, especially in the teeth, such as space between the teeth, very high roof of the mouth and teeth out, leaving the child toothless. In addition, it can lead to changes in the development of the head, such as smaller jaw size, which is the jaw bone, changes in speech, breathing and excessive production of saliva.
