By Cora Megan, M.A. and JoAnn Robinson, PhD
Pacifiers are a great aid to self-soothing for infants and toddlers. It replaces using a thumb, the age-old ready-made tool, and is less damaging to developing teeth. Pediatric dentists recommend that by age three years children are weaned from using them.
Getting rid of a pacifier is tricky business. So often we are tempted to trick our children or cut it off without acknowledging their feelings or involving them in the process. We always encourage parents to involve their children in the weaning process as much as possible. Don’t underestimate how aware your child is of their attachment to the pacifier! Here are a few methods that have worked for Peace At Home parents:
Acknowledging your child’s emotions and giving them the words to describe feelings is a way of building emotional intelligence and strengthening the parent-child connection at the same time.
Remember: this process is no different than any other where your child is encouraged to share feelings.
So what are some X and Y choices to consider? Our parents shared these ideas in a recent conversation on our Private Facebook Page:
Your child may ask about the binkies or cry a bit but with a few days’ persistence and reassurance that they are able to feel safe without it, your child will let them go.
For more parenting support, please join us for an Upcoming Live Class or browse our Catalog of Recorded Content including Quick Video Solution Libraries with handouts. Questions? Email us at Solutions@Peaceathomeparenting.com