Pacifiers in kindergarten: tips for weaning them off
Although a pacifier is not forbidden in kindergarten, you should still wean your child away from sucking on a pacifier as early as possible. We have put together a few tips for you on how you can wean your child off the pacifier before they start kindergarten.
Soothers in kindergarten: why they should be weaned
Using a pacifier is generally not forbidden in kindergarten. And with specially designed pacifiers, there are fewer problems with jaw development. Nevertheless, there are good reasons to wean your child off the pacifier before entering kindergarten. Because sucking for years can have unpleasant effects. Misaligned teeth, problems with the swallowing muscle, articulation, caries or susceptibility to diseases can be the consequences. And the threat of teasing from the other children could also be reason enough for your child to say goodbye to the pacifier before kindergarten.
The right time for weaning
In order for your child to stop using their pacifier before they start kindergarten, the general rule is: you should start weaning them off as early as possible. From the age of two, but no later than when entering kindergarten, you should try to wean your child off the pacifier. Although kindergarten children who “pacify” are not uncommon, you should assert yourself for the sake of your child’s health and ensure that the pacifier stays in the closet in the future.
Preparation: In order to wean the pacifier off before entering kindergarten, it is advisable to switch to a teething ring at an early stage. You can also replace the feeding bottle with a drinking cup early on. This makes it easier to wean later.
Establish rules: You should consistently ensure that your child does not speak with a pacifier in its mouth. If it still speaks with a pacifier, pretend you don’t understand anything. After the third or fourth repetition, your child will lose interest and take the pacifier out of their mouth themselves. Communicate this rule regarding the pacifier to the educators in the kindergarten and ask them to pay special attention to it.
Encourage personal responsibility: With this rule, you not only accelerate the process of weaning the pacifier, but also your child’s independence at the same time. Do not “follow” your child. If they want a pacifier in kindergarten, they have to think about it themselves. The educators, on the other hand, should make sure that your child does not “deposit” the pacifier in the kindergarten so that it does not have to think about it the next morning.
No misleading help: even if you find it difficult, do not buy your child a new pacifier before they start kindergarten. If your child still wants a new pacifier, they will have to buy one themselves. Your child will certainly shy away from it and suddenly the pacifier is no longer so important.
Work with the educators: Discuss with the educators. For example, you can offer your child to give their pacifier to the “Schnullerfee” in kindergarten, which flies by there every day. The next day, your child will receive a small gift that you bought beforehand. The “Institution Kindergarten” makes the exchange look a little more “serious” for your child. You can also suggest new ideas to the educators yourself. How about a “pacifier tree”? Your child can simply hang the pacifier on the tree. So it knows that he is not gone forever and always has the opportunity to visit him.
Weaning in stages: If you wean your child from the pacifier before entering kindergarten, it should be done in stages. Limit the zone for pacifiers to the apartment first, then the children’s room, and finally the bed. Ultimately, your child will give up the pacifier on its own.
What to do if it doesn’t work: You don’t know what to do because your child absolutely doesn’t want to do without the pacifier? Don’t worry, sooner or later it will let go of the pacifier. If you follow all the rules that we have suggested and have a lot of patience, your child will eventually say goodbye to their pacifier.
In order to wean yourself off the pacifier before entering kindergarten, you should make sure that you remain consistent in all your steps. Don’t let your authority be taken from you and tell your child openly what you want. Education starts with the little things and your assertiveness will always pay off. However, do not confuse assertiveness with coercion, because if you force your child, you will only achieve the opposite. It must want to do without the pacifier itself.
