Children and soothers

I can completely relate to a parent who chooses to give their baby a soother because it can be a real comfort for them, especially if they are a baby who could nurse all day long, or they are exceptionally fussy. It is said though that a baby should not be given a soother for at least the first week and until breastfeeding has been well established because it can cause "nipple confusion" . I would also recommend and have read it as well, that the soother be taken away before the baby reaches six months of age. After six months it will prove to be a more and more difficult task the older they get, and you will likely find yourself (like many parents) wondering if there will ever come a day when they will just let it go on their own because they are so attached you couldn't imagine taking it from them, either for their own emotional well being or for yours. I also would say just from my own observations of toddlers who still have their soothers that it appears to delay their speech as well as enabling them to stay somewhat reserved in social situations. And we have all heard of the damage it can cause to a childs tooth development. Also I have read of an increase in middle ear infections being noticed in children with the prolonged use of soothers because of the constant sucking motion. Ultimately I think that before six months will keep your baby safe and healthy and save you a much bigger battle down the road. A soother only really needs to be used for soothing a baby nothing else. A tip for helping an older child to relinquish their soother without too much distress would be to take it slow and begin setting times or activities when they will not use it, once they have for the most part accepted "that" time as being "soother free" and no longer make a fuss about it, move on to another time or activity. Sometimes a little incentive or distraction works well in these situations just be sure that what you are using for these will not become problems in themselves later on. some ideas could be to come up with a new activity all together something they have never done before so doing it without their soother may be easier as it is all together new to them, something such as helping mom to bake cookies (one of my daughters favorite activities) or set up a new project they have never tried before. 101 ways to entertain toddlers! The internet is the best resource. Research activities for kids.
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