Parenting Snapshots #9: Pacifier Use – Giving up that Dummy

This week in our parenting snapshots, we are chatting to Kate Barlow from the Parent Consultancy about pacifier use, or using the dummy as they call it in the UK.

Many parents have tried to give their child a pacifier; we did with your little boy in fact. For some babies, it works well, but for others, they don’t take to it. Stuntboy wanted me, and nothing else!

However, once pacifier use is regular. It can be hard to get your child, particularly when they reach toddler age, to give it up. In this hangout, we chat about how to tackle this, as well as discussing other aspects of pacifier use including:

• Why do parents start to use a pacifier or dummy
• What is the real purpose to a dummy/pacifier?
• What is the dummy run?
• What age is it best to stop using one?
• What can you do if you haven’t given up by this age…for a child under one?
• What are the strategies for helping an older child give up?
• Do rewards and incentives work? We do have a reward chart to help with giving up the dummy, which includes a lovely picture of our very own little star with a pacifier!
• Should we invent a dummy/pacifier fairy?

So here we go – here is the hangout for you….

What are your thoughts on pacifier use and giving up the dummy? Do you have any further ideas on what to do? Please do give us some advice in the comments below.

Helen

Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!

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