Weaning a toddler off soothers?

Shabadu

I had planned on not giving my son a soother, but unfortunately he was put in the intensive care unit when he was born as a paed doc misdiagnosed him as having a collapsed lung (long story).

Anyway- he was starving and they wouldn't let me breast feed as they were worried about him inhaling liquid. He couldn't have a bottle either, so for three days he was on a nasal-gastric drip. The nurses gave him a soother to comfort him, and by the time I got him back with me I was just so happy to have him and breast-feed him that I let him keep the soother.

Almost two years later and he still has it. He doesn't have it all the time, just when he is sleeppy or cross. I have no idea how we're going to cope without it. I had a cousin who was *6* before he had totally given it up, and I dread this happening to us.

Any advice?

Nevyn

When does he have it?
Start wth a rule that it is only for when he is gong asleep.
It is only for when he is in his pjs and in his bed going asleep or for a nap and go from there.
Heap him with praise when he puts it away, and tell him how much of a big boy he is and how proud you are of him.

Shabadu

Sometimes I cop out and give it to him when we're going home from the creche in the buggy. He still has a nap in the creche for two hours, and I know he gets it then, and if he's upset. The plus side is that he's beginning to reason things out quite well, so sitting down and talking to him about things is working quite well. I will definitely explain to him that's it's only for night-time now.

RainyDay

I have heard about 'giving the soother to Santy' at Xmas time in exchange for the pressies - or you could come up with your own variation if you have a birthday coming up.

magnumlady

My son just decided he had enough of the soothers, but my daughter, what a nightmare! We tried to hide them and use them only for at night, but she had them hidden everywhere! In the end she was 4 when she was persuaded to give them to the Easter bunny. She's almost 10 now and every night the thumb is wedged in her mouth!
Good luck.

Johnny Storm

Let them use the soother as long as they like.
I got really bent out of shape about my first son using the soother and kept going on at him to give it up (which he finally did).
However, now at age 8 he chews on biros, the ends of his sleeves, had to buy a new TV remote recently the old one was so chewed.
I genuinely regret that I did not use let him use the soother as much as he wanted when he was younger.
Just my opinion based on my own experience.

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well i made a rule for buggy and bed only.. now its bed time only. it gets put under a pillow and left there till the next night..

i was in the same situtation.. ICU for a week and the nurse gave her a soother something i wasnt happy about but was ok.. after a long stay in hospital for both of us it didnt bother me.

but one thing is dont take it away.. like everything else with kids they will do it when they are ready!

Alanna

My 16 month old daughter has a soother which she loves with a passion and I hope she will give it up when she is ready as I don't like the look of young children using them. But what I want to know is what is wrong with babies and toddlers having soothers?

Nevyn

it can ruin thier developing plate and teeth.

is_that_so

Friend of mine used the "only babies use soothers" argument with her 3 year old. Worked a treat. Child stopped using it.

Victor

RainyDay wrote:

I have heard about 'giving the soother to Santy' at Xmas time in exchange for the pressies

One of my sister's friends used this logic sucessfully, until the little rat came out with the line in January "Its OK, I still have my yellow one"

Nevyn

http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/babies/Pacifiers.htm


http://www.encinosmiledr.com/kids.htm
Kids' Dental Health

What about soothers?
Soothers are not recommended for toddlers once their complete set of primary or "baby" teeth have grown in. This usually happens by age three. Regular use of a soother after this time may affect the child's speech development and the normal development of the mouth and jaws. To “wean” your toddler off their soother, try limiting soother use to rest and sleep times and gently removing it from their mouth after your child is asleep.

safer soothers
http://www.midwivesonline.com/mam1.htm

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you can get othopedic soothers (i got them for ikkle one).

best news ever for me. The soothers are going in the post on monday morning to her baby cousen!!

Cause he needs them more than her... cute