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Gently stop the pacifier or pacifier

Stopping the pacifier in kindergarten: this is a common struggle for all parents of young children. Indeed, for little ones, the pacifier is a way to reassure themselves (by the action of suction). However, this accessory that accompanied your toddler during his first years must, from a certain age, belong to the past.

How to stop the pacifier serenely? And what to do in case of difficult stopping of the pacifier? We tell you everything you need to know about this important stage in the life of a toddler.

1st step: make the child understand why he must stop the pacifier

Many parents devalue their child by telling him that the pacifier is made for babies. This produces the opposite effect. The child is obsessed and it is impossible, then, to make him listen to reason. The goal here is to find the right arguments without devaluing your child. This is especially true if it is difficult to stop the pacifier at 4 years old. You can start by telling him/her that he/she is tall now. And that by looking around him, no other child has a pacifier (be careful to be sure that this is indeed the case). Also specify that he will have trouble making himself understood by his friends and girlfriends with his pacifier in his mouth. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor for help, who will tell him, as a bonus, that the pacifier is very bad for your teeth

2nd step: prepare the child to stop the pacifier

To stop the pacifier at 3 years old, you have to plan a little in advance. And that starts with choosing the right stories. Indeed, toddlers love having short stories read to them before going to bed. Take the opportunity then to choose books where his favorite hero also abandons the pacifier. Don't forget to involve your child to make sure they understand the problem. You can also try to see with him to agree on a deadline after which your child will have to give up his pacifier. The objective is to make him an actor in this judgment.

3rd step: avoid a difficult stop of the pacifier by going gently

Obviously, just as you should not devalue your child, it is not recommended to suddenly stop the pacifier. Especially if your toddler still needs it to reassure himself during the night or during a big grief.

Your role as a parent will be to accompany him in this step by going there gently. Sometimes it will happen that he does not take a pacifier for several days and then, again, he asks for the pacifier again. In this case, there are two schools: parents who let things happen and those who don't give up. It's up to you to see where you want to be. But if the pacifier remains a need, let him have it at least during the nap or during the night. You can take it out when he sleeps. At some point, your child will drop their pacifier on their own.

Want to know more about the action of the pacifier? And you wonder why baby sucks his thumb? This article will answer your question:

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