How & when to help your child let go of the dummy

Should you wean your child off the dummy?

Young children can be very attached to their dummies. So if you’re wondering whether you should wean your child off their dummy, it’s worth considering the pros and cons of dummy use in early childhood.

Advantages of dummies

Touching and sucking on a dummy can comfort and soothe your child.
Dummies might also help your child manage everyday stress and soothe themselves when you’re not around.

Disadvantages of dummies

Your child might be waking a lot at night when they lose the dummy.
Dummy use past 3-4 years of age increases the chance of dental problems later, like tooth decay or teeth growing out of alignment. It can also affect the growth of the palate (roof of the mouth) and is linked to slightly higher rates of middle ear infections.
If your child uses their dummy during the day, it might affect your child’s speech and language development.

When to wean your child off the dummy

Sometimes children decide to give up their dummies by themselves. But most often, parents decide it’s time for their child to give up the dummy.

As a parent, you know your child best. You’re the best one to decide whether your child is ready to move on from the dummy. Try not to feel rushed or pressured by the reactions of family, other children or even strangers.

Tips for weaning your child off the dummy

Your child probably won’t find it easy to part with the dummy. So a gradual approach is likely to be the fairest and easiest.

Before you start

Remind yourself that sucking a dummy never becomes a lifelong habit. Many children will stop using a dummy by themselves.
Choose your timing. A period of change or stress for you or your child might not be a good time to give up.
Talk to your child about giving up the dummy, if your child is old enough to understand.
Give your child time to adjust to the idea. For some children, this might be a few days. You could try marking the date on a calendar and counting down.
Read picture books with your child about giving up the dummy. You might be able to get these from your local library.

When it’s time to start

Offer the dummy less often during the day. Try putting it away in a special spot and get it out only as part of your child’s sleep routine. This will help things go faster if you do it consistently.
Limit dummy use to certain times and places – for example, the car or cot. This gives your child a chance to get used to being without the dummy.
Gradually use the dummy less often when resettling your child during the night. For example, give the dummy to your child every second time they cry in the night on the second day, then every third time on the third day, and so on.

When you take away the dummy

Once your child is coping for longer periods without the dummy, set a time and date, and then take away the dummy.
Mark the occasion of becoming dummy free with a celebration or special reward.
Praise your child and tell them how proud you are that they’re managing without their dummy.
Try not to turn back. No matter how well you’ve prepared your child for this change, expect some discomfort and protest.

It might be fun to get your child involved in giving away the dummy. For example, you could suggest hanging it on a tree for fairies to give to babies who don’t have a dummy. Or putting it in the bird feeder for the baby birds. Then if your child asks for it back, you can say you don’t have it anymore. Just remember to throw away all the dummies. You don’t want your child to find the dummy you said you were giving to the baby birds!