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There seems to be 5 methods for weaning from a comfort object. Generally they can be used in conjunction with each other.
But first you have to decide just how gone you want the object, for healthy teeth, pacifiers need to go, but I still have
my childhood teddy bear, it just stays in my bedroom.
1. Never start
This is easy to figure out. However even if you do not encourage a comfort object, one may be found anyway, the sooner you
limit its use to appropriate rooms (stuffed animals only in bed, sippy cup only in kitchen etc.) the easier it will be to
get rid of completely. And I have never heard of an infant getting a pacifier out of the store by themselves!
2. Cold turkey
Just take it, toss it, and be prepared for some screaming. Most people use this in combination with some trickery. Caution,
if you back down on the first attempt the second will be MUCH harder for both you and your child.
3. Trickery
With a bottle you can gradually water down the milk or formula or whatever so it only ever has water. (Offer the real thing
in a sippy cup or regular cup alongside)
Or have a certain big kid toy be unavailable till the comfort object is gone.
Or if you don't mind a lie:
You can have some fake character take the comfort object. Or dogs chew it, or gradually cut the ends so it is less and
less useful. You could have some icky stuff fall on it (nontoxic in case it doesn't deter them)
4. Slow and gradual
Again usually used in combination with some trickery. Generally these methods involve slowly banning the object from certain
activities or rooms. Often starting with restricting use to the house, then the bedroom, then the bed, then not at all. (unless
it is a cup, that goes in the kitchen.)
5. Wait till they stop needing it.
Unless the object poses a health risk (bottles and pacifiers are bad for teeth) You can wait, and I doubt you will have to
hear about your college kid carrying a teddy bear into class.
Thumb sucking
Now you can't take a thumb away, but that doesn't mean there is no hope of getting a child to give it up. In fact your child
may not want you to allow them to suck their thumb forever. I know of several older thumbsuckers, one who did it until her
teens at night and another who was around 5. Both were annoyed at their parents for allowing it to happen so long. Of course
children will find reasons to be angry anyway.
Some methods include:
1. Tell your child why they shoud quit,and offer to help them.
2. Offer reward for not doing it, say the truck thing specific to thumbsucking.
3. If it is a girl offer pretty nail polish, only if the thumb stays out (say keep it out for a day get polish, remove if
she sucks)
4. Change the sleep position (if it is a sleep habit) holding a bear would get in the way at first (then they fall asleep
and it creeps in)
Back to behavior
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