Worried parents who think their child may be over-reliant on a dummy can breathe a sigh of relief.
This is because health visitor Ruth Watts shares her simple but effective trick for weaning little ones off their dummies. Known for her insightful parenting videos that often go viral, Ruth suggests an ideal method to help babies self-soothe without their dummies.
In her latest guidance, she explains: “It provides comfort, and a lot of babies or toddlers use it to fall asleep. The ideal age to get rid of the dummy is between four and six months.
“Now the likelihood of getting one to get rid of the dummy around this age is that they’re likely spitting it out in the night, it’s causing you to wake up, you’re having to find the dummy and put it back in their mouth.
“At this point is when I say to parents ‘you’re already waking up in the night, so what is the harm of a couple of bad nights of sleep where they forget the dummy quite quickly and easily?’ This is the easiest age get them to do that.”
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Experts suggest that, until the age of one, it’s best to keep cribs clear. If a comforter is introduced, this means the crib is no longer empty.
Instead, parents could encourage thumb-sucking or provide a “muzzy” under supervision, removing it before sleep time. For older toddlers, replacing the dummy with sensory inputs like humming, shushing, singing or rocking is recommended.
Ruth shared her own experience, giving her children a face cloth as a comforter once they were over one-year-old, which she believes is an effective substitute.
For younger babies, the advice is to simply remove the dummy and offer an alternative, while older toddlers might benefit from a gradual approach, such as limiting dummy use to naps and bedtime. However, Ruth emphasised the importance of consistency if you decide to take the dummy away, as inconsistency will not be beneficial. The advice has sparked much discussion online.
One person commented: “I just went cold turkey. Easier than confusing him. Took it away before bed. He was upset for two to three nights, and then that was it.”
Another parent shared their struggle, adding: “My daughter’s three and only has it for bed. She just won’t give it up. I have no idea what to do.”
A third also said: “I took my girl’s dummy off her when she was six months. She’s now eight months, it’s the best thing I ever did. She used to wake up several times in the night for it, putting it back in her mouth. Now she’s amazing.”