WEANING a todder off their dummy teat can be a struggle for parents. But there are gentle ways to make the transition smoother.
The time must be right though – “namely when the child is ready to part with it anyway,” says parenting expert and author Nora Imlau.
If the child is still strongly attached to their dummy and parents try to force the matter, say, by offering to exchange a gift for it, the child will agree in order to get the gift.
“But they might cry in the evening because they miss their dummy,” warns Imlau.
Parents must realise, she says, that even a child who willingly gives up their binky needs support in the days and weeks afterwards.
“You can’t just get rid of it without an alternative that serves to soothe the child.”
Before deciding the dummy’s demise, “parents should self-assuredly assess the role it plays in the family,” Imlau says.
“How important is it to the child? How much of a help is it to the family? How often is it actually used?”
They shouldn’t be swayed by well-meant advice to ditch it, be it from dentists or grandmas, she says.
Imlau recommends the following reply: “Thanks for the tip. We’re the parents, it’s our decision, and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for us at the moment.” – dpa
