There is no strict rule for when a baby should stop using a dummy – as it can vary depending on individual circumstances and parental preference. However, the NHS recommends taking them away from kids over the age of 18 months when possible.
The website explains: “Dummies can help babies to settle down and sleep. Some studies show that dummies can establish a good sucking pattern in babies, especially those who are premature. However, there a number of disadvantages, most of which impact on a child’s speech and language development. Dummies can also cause middle ear infections and dental problems.”
It adds: “Don’t give your child a dummy during the day or when they could be interacting with other children, don’t use a dummy beyond times when your child needs to be comforted and don’t use a dummy when your child could be babbling or talking.”
While this is important advice, taking away your child’s dummy can be easier said than done. Thankfully though, a health visitor has shared her top tips for making the task a bit easier.
In a viral video, Ruth Watts recommended weaning your kids of dummies as early as six months. She explained: “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.”
If your child is over the age of one, you may want to introduce a comforter instead. Or 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 effective for little ones who are old enough to have items in their cots.
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. But her main piece of advice is to be consistent.
Parents were appreciative of the video and took to the comments section to share their thoughts. One said: “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.”
And another wrote: “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.”