A soother gives your child a sense of security and brings soothing in many situations. Parents, on the other hand, can enjoy the moments of peace when the child does not cry and does not get bored. But how long should a child suck a soother and how should they part with it painlessly?
Which year of age do I need a soother for?
The suction reflex is very strong in babies, so the soother is an almost essential product for them. However, sooner or later it will be necessary to part with it, and even longer the parents postpone the moment of putting the teat off, the greater will be the protests and crying of the child. When, then, should I give up my teat?
A good time for your baby to stop sucking is when he or she starts putting things in his or her mouth. This is a period of fascination during which the senses, including touch and taste, develop very intensively, during which the child often spits the teat out of himself or herself. In this case, it is best to limit the suction of the soother only to situations where it is really necessary, for example sleepiness.
Some experts say that it is worth weeding off a 6-month-old child from a soother. Others insist on the position that after reaching the age of 18 months and not before the beginning of the second year of life. However, a child’s development is such an individual process that the right moment should be chosen, first of all, on the basis of the child’s own observations.
It is not advisable to leave your baby with a soother in stressful situations, such as stopping breastfeeding, teething or the absence of one of the carers. As this is often a stressful process also for parents (a child is anxious, dull, crying), it is worth choosing a moment when we ourselves have a stable situation in life and it will be easier for us to go through the process of putting the soother off in the child.
A soother for your child when and how to part with it
