DUMMY WEANING
Medically the optimal range of time for dummy weaning is around two and a half years. Dummy sucking is a way of selfpacifying. From a psychological point of view it can reoccur in the following situations: Parents are getting divorced – a pain of parting develops; The family enlarges – a baby arrives; The common environment alters – a moving takes place;
All this may cause that dummy weaning happens later then at the age of 2.5 years. Yet when starting kindergarden (age 3) the dummy should be weaned.
Suggestions for nice dummy weaning –rituals:
1) In some kindergardens there is a dummy tree where you may hang up your dummy, as there is a big girl/boy by now and there is no more need for a dummy. 2) Mom or Dad or Granny/Grandpa can shoot the dummy up into the sky at New Year’s Eve. 3) The dummy together with a letter is tied to a (gas-filled) balloon rising to the sky, and in the letter the finder is asked to dispose of the dummy. 4) The dummy is put into a bottle together with a letter and then a message in a bottle swims away. The finder is asked to dispose of the dummy. 5) The dummy fairy is phoned and she fetches the dummy so that there are sufficient dummies again for the little babies. 6) Children who are ready to give away their dummy are visited by the fairy each day for one week. She comes with a pair of scissors and each day she takes a little piece of the dummy. In return for giving it away the fairy usually has a gift or the child. 7) The dummy can also be put into the kangaroo-mascot’s pouch at our surgery and for giving the dummy away the child is rewarded with a song. 8) Sometimes even the Easter bunny or Father Christmas help to fetch the dummy and again the child receives an “extra-gift”. 9) By painting the dummy you can of course brighten up all the give away-rituals.Thus the little children’s hands say good-bye another time to the beloved dummy in a creative way. 10) Furthermore tongue playing can be an alternative to dummy sucking by providing the still dummy sucking child with novel mouth– and tongue experiences, such as touching lips, lip humming, siren lips, propeller lips (and so let melodies bubble), whistling, smacking, kissing, blowing up ballons, blowing cotton wool balls into a goal, balancing a single noodle on one’s upper lip etc. All dummy weaning rituals can be accompanied by a dummy-weaning- rhyme (like rap), such as: “Ich werf’ den Schnulli in den Gulli und die Windel auf den Müll, weil ich groß bin und alleine in den Kindergarten will.“ The English translation of this rhyme cannot exactly mime the rhyme, but endeavors to relate at least an idea of what it is about: “I dump the dummy into the drain and the diaper onto the garbage, because I am big and want to go to kindergarden on my own.” (All ideas and authorship by Mausini )
KAMILLA recommends the dummy “Curaprox” (available in all pharmacies).
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