Pacifiers, Thumbs, Fingers

Here’s what The Parenting Doctor, Dr. Ann Corwin, has to say about Paficifer, fingers, thumbs and blankets:

Before children are born they suck. This natural and necessary ability to suck is used for nutrition and non-nutritive comfort.

Parents would never think of taking nutrition away from their kids. Much less thinking it is OK to make them feel bad without supporting them.
So why does the general public believe that by a certain age, usually by 3 years, a child should give up their comfort objects, like pacifiers, fingers, thumbs and blankets?

The really crazy thing about this practice of taking away comfort from kids is that adults don’t even give up comfort by certain chronological ages.
If you told a 25 year old to stop jogging after work or told a 40 year old to stop reading romance novels or a 50 year old to stop working on their picture albums in their spare time, they would call you crazy and say no way.

Now if an adult jogged, read and worked on picture albums all day instead of supporting their family or working to pay their bills, then that would be a problem.

My point is just teach the time and place for your kids to comfort themselves instead of taking comfort away entirely. Because these objects that kids cling to have nothing to do with the object itself, like a pacifier, but it is what it represents.

Fingers, pacifiers, thumbs and loveys remind kids of the loving, secure feelings they have for their parents.

Pacifier Problems

Dear Dr. Ann please help with my serious pacifier problem!
I believe your thoughts on weaning a child from a pacifier is that it shouldn’t be done unless he’s ready. And that a pacifier is a very emotional connection between a child and parent.
My son is 3 years 3 months old. At 3 we limited his […]

Sorting Out the SuperNanny… “Why Are We Sooo Passionate About Pacifiers”!

Watching & listening to mom as she says, “I’m not doing a really good job” as her eyes are down cast looking extremely ashamed was painful for me. As usual, the Super Nanny begins by berating these parents about their lack of follow through, lack of respect for their house and mom’s need to have her […]

Expert urges parents not to rush their little ones off binkies, blankies

By Cathy Zimmerman, www.TDN.com
Trying to get rid of your baby’s pacifier? Don’t do it.
That was the message from Dr. Ann Corwin, a specialist in parenting and children’s health who spoke at a conference March 13 in Vancouver.
“How many of you have ever heard something like this: ‘Oh, your third birthday is almost here. The Binkie […]

Ontario Mom with 25 month old has bed problems

Hello Dr Ann
We are having some issues with our 25 month old daughter. Shortly after her second birthday we purchased a dora toddler bed which Ryleigh loved, we also at the same time took away her sucky.
Since then she has been doing amazing with the no sucky situation but has now refused to sleep in […]