Dummy debate

Caroline73_2

onlyroz wrote: »

At least the baby gets a choice about whether to suck their thumb or not. I think there's nothing more hideous than seeing a small child with a huge plastic plug in their mouth (apart from perhaps seeing babies with pierced ears...)

You cannot make a baby suck, it will only do so if it wants to, dummy or thumb.

My 12 year old would much rather I had given him a dummy which he would had been weaned from by the time he was 2, than have to have all the orthodontic work he needs now as I let him 'choose' to suck his fingers. I didn't realise the damage sucking his fingers would do his teeth.

Babies cannot make informed choices so parents need to do it for them.

tiamai_d

onlyroz wrote: »

At least the baby gets a choice about whether to suck their thumb or not. I think there's nothing more hideous than seeing a small child with a huge plastic plug in their mouth (apart from perhaps seeing babies with pierced ears...)

You de realise that they can spit them out?

Just like they come off the breast when full. Or spit out a bottle teat. Or spit out a little bit of extra milk.

A babies mouth is not some magical thing that it has no control over.

onlyroz

tiamai_d wrote: »

You de realise that they can spit them out?

I was thinking more of the mums who seem to automatically shove the dummy into the baby's mouth regardless of whether they're upset or not. I saw one mother pull out her child's dummy, shove a few crisps into their mouth, and then plug the dummy back in again :eek:

OrkneyStar

Caroline73 wrote: »

You cannot make a baby suck, it will only do so if it wants to, dummy or thumb.

My 12 year old would much rather I had given him a dummy which he would had been weaned from by the time he was 2, than have to have all the orthodontic work he needs now as I let him 'choose' to suck his fingers. I didn't realise the damage sucking his fingers would do his teeth.

Babies cannot make informed choices so parents need to do it for them.

Can I ask what age he sucked his fingers until ?
I ask because DS was at dentist a month or so ago and she was absolutely not worried about him still thucking his thumb just now. In fact I am more worried lol!

jinky67

I hate dummies, wouldnt use them for either of my two, although DD's Dad tried to give her one!!!!!

Luckily she hated it and spat it out:rotfl:

balletshoes

Lalaladybird wrote: »

Do you let your babies have them or not and why?

With my first I didn't and was really pleased but I gave my 2nd a dummy because she seemed really "sucky".

I can see pros and cons to dummy use, what do you all think of them?

If they can manage without needing to suck anything at all, I think that would be the ideal. My DD had a dummy, she only got it when she was going to sleep, no other time - but she had one in her mouth and one to play with :rotfl:. I had no trouble at all getting her to give it up either - she left it for Santa under the tree the Christmas eve she was 2 years old.

tiamai_d

onlyroz wrote: »

I was thinking more of the mums who seem to automatically shove the dummy into the baby's mouth regardless of whether they're upset or not. I saw one mother pull out her child's dummy, shove a few crisps into their mouth, and then plug the dummy back in again :eek:

Ah right. Your post didn't really come across in that way.

As I said, used responsibly, I don't see any problems with them.

In saying that, mine is wandering about with a dummy in her gob at the moment, no idea where she got it from, possibly under the sofa. :cool:

Little bissom! I take it off her and she's grinding her teeth! Grossss!!!!!

SugarSpun

My baby is a year old and has one for going to sleep. She takes it out of her mouth and flings it down to let us know she's ready to get up, and when she goes into her cot for a sleep she's given it again. She has no problems with speech and her solitary tooth is just fine.

A staff member at our local Gymboree is forever telling kids she can't see/hear/understand them with the dummies in and they're not allowed in her class with them in her mouth, and while I can see her point she is talking to babies of 12-16 months and since she is not their parent IMO she has no business making that kind of decision.

slscarborough

DS1 never had a dummy and I was always dead against them. However when I had DS2 I did end up using one but weaned him off it at 6 months as was always horrified at toddlers running around with them.

Different story with DD1 as she is 17 months and loves her dummy. She wouldnt sleep throught the night without it!! I am hoping to wean her off of it before she turns 2 though.

thatgirlsam

SugarSpun wrote: »

My baby is a year old and has one for going to sleep. She takes it out of her mouth and flings it down to let us know she's ready to get up, and when she goes into her cot for a sleep she's given it again. She has no problems with speech and her solitary tooth is just fine.

A staff member at our local Gymboree is forever telling kids she can't see/hear/understand them with the dummies in and they're not allowed in her class with them in her mouth, and while I can see her point she is talking to babies of 12-16 months and since she is not their parent IMO she has no business making that kind of decision.

my mum used to take my dd's out when she was little and tell me i would make her stupid!

as she reached a level 5 for all her subjects at the end of year 5, including a 5a for english i guess my mum was wrong