Does anyone have a dummy policy in place or how do you use them? Do you keep your own spares or anything that you would use?
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Does anyone have a dummy policy in place or how do you use them? Do you keep your own spares or anything that you would use?
I don't have a policy. I have only had 1 and 2 year olds using them and I tend to use them as parents use them to begin with. Gradually I am just using them for sleep times or if they are upset so it doesn't interfere with speech etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by mumofone
There is no requirement in the Eyfs for written policies apart from safeguarding and complaints.
If a child has a dummy we make a pot for it to go in during the day when we are playing and talking - the child is involved and decides when it can go in the pot - we chat about it and explain that we can't understand what the child is saying with the dummy in their mouth.
They always have it for sleep if that's what they are used to ... and yes, each child has a box of bits and bobs like sun cream and spare clothes and we keep spares if asked by parents :D
Hi Sarah what about for non takers (still babies)?Quote:
Originally Posted by sarah707
I have 3 here with dummies. The eldest is 21 months. She puts hers on the side soon after arriving and doesn't think about it till mum collects when she reverts back to a baby making baby sounds n indicating she wants it. My grandson has his (19mths) has one which I tend to remove as soon as he drops it and he will ask for it usually when tired. The 3rd child was 2 in Feb and has only just started with me but I will encourage him to put it up during the day as much as possible as he hardly speaks at the moment. I'm not anti dummy and if they need them, they have them
I don't have a policy and don't have any spares myself but will ask parents when needed. I think they are wonderful in the right situation. I had a settling-in session today with an 8mth old and it was a god send. Bless her sucking away.
Even though two of my own children used dummies, I'm still quite shocked and horrified when I meet a child with a dummy in their mouth. Only came across a boy around 3 years old recently in the park with one and felt helpless as mum kept putting the dummy back in his mouth!
Having a dummy policy wouldn't be something for me. Then again, I'm still trying to convince a mum that her 20 month old would be better off with a cup of milk rather than a bottle after nap-time.
I wouldn't write a policy for it as it would be very difficult to stick to. Each child is different so you might be able to follow a policy with some, but the same policy wouldn't work for others.
I have no hard and fast rules, although I do try to get children to get rid of their dummy as soon as possible - at least while they're here. I currently look after an almost 2 year old who always comes in with a dummy in his mouth. As soon as mum or dad leaves he puts it on the shelf, usually without me having to say anything. He started here when he was 11 months old and had his dummy during the day. He'd often drop it on the floor, so I'd pick it up and put it on the shelf until he noticed he didn't have it. After a while he was happy to put it on the shelf himself and leave it there. He usually has it now when he has a sleep, then it goes in his bag. As soon as parents arrive he goes straight to his bag and gets it out again!
If I have a baby start with me I do tend to ask parents to leave a spare dummy with me, or I buy the same sort to keep here. Sometimes dummies get left here (especially if the child brings more than one) so I tend to keep those as spares. I've got a collection of dummies in a drawer, in a box, so I've always got one to use in an emergency :thumbsup:
We only give dummy's at bedtime if needed, we take it off them when they arrive. We dont give bottles with juice either :) we dont have a policy but we make parents aware that we take the dummy off the child when they arrive and explain why dummy's should not be given to to their little ones.Quote:
Originally Posted by mumofone
What you need to know about using a dummy.
We all know that dummies can help sooth a fractious baby… but did you also know…..
If your child uses a dummy or bottle a lot it may affect speech and language development by:
Restricting tongue movements which can make your child talk late
Changing the pattern of tongue movements making speech sounds unclear
Causing a gap in the front teeth which may lead to a lisp.
Dummies can make it harder for your child to swallow and this will make them more “dribbly”.
Children who use dummies for long periods are more likely to get ear infections.
Tips to prevent these problems:
Try to keep the dummy for sleep times from 8 months and get rid of it by 12 months
Always remove the dummy when your child is trying to talk
Use a flat teat rather than a round cherry shape
Try cuddling or reading at bedtime instead of giving a dummy
Avoid dipping the dummy in anything sugary
Avoid letting your child use a bottle as a soother, and never put juice drinks in a bottle.
Choose a time for your child to give up the dummy (not when you are under pressure) and make a clean break- throw away all the dummies at once. Most babies and toddlers will only fret for 2 or 3 days.
I can understand what your saying tammy-tots but at the end of the day it's up to the parent if their child has a dummy. I too also put dummy's on a shelf if the child is Happy for it to go there. But if it causes them distress I would work on it over a period of time.
I would never tell a parent there child shouldn't have a dummy.not my place.
I never tell a parent their child shouldn't have a dummy. I usually give all parents of LOs a guide to starting to talk which does mention the downside of dummies and then while the child is with me I wean them off it apart from sleep time and then I frequently forget they have a dummy to sleep with and if they sleep fine, then that's it. I don't usually make a point of telling the parents until they mention dummies to me.
I have a couple who arrive with a dummy in their mouth - both are 2 and as soon as they are in, they put it in their bags and usually it stays there until hometime.
In would always wait until a child was completely settled here before doing anything about a dummy, as I'm sure we all would.
Just wanted to mention that some babies are encouraged to have a dummy if they have acid reflux as sucking on a dummy produces more saliva which 'waters down' the acid that is causing the baby discomfort. My DD suffered terribly but I couldn't get her to have a dummy, so I had the opposite battle on my hands, lol. I soon gave up as obviously as I had to respect her decision (I guess they start making decisions about their body from day 1, lol). My mother-in-law said "Oh well I can just keep hold of the dummy while it is in her mouth and she'll soon get used to it". I hated that idea and absolutely did not take her up on it.
A colleague of mine used to get so fed up of people telling her that her son should not have a dummy at his age. Her other two children had got rid of theirs as babies but this one was very attached to his. She had decided that she was going to wait until he was old enough to have the language skills to understand why she was taking it off him, rather than have him stressed and wondering why she was doing it. She is a great mum, very on the ball and not afraid to say "no" to her children, but this was one thing that she was going to do her way and not the text book way. He did drop it very quickly once she started the process.
I'm only saying this so that we don't assume someone is ignorant (or doesn't care) of the downside of dummies. I've done a couple of parenting things my own way myself and you do have to develop a thick skin for 'well meaning' comments. So if you do broach the subject with the parents, do it respectfully (as I'm sure you would) and be prepared for any number of responses! They may also have very strong opinions on the subject. As Mouse says, there's no hard and fast rule. x
Wise words Maza!
I used to be an old fashioned no dummy person, oldest didn't have the offer so we were a no dummy house. Youngest, as Maza suggests, had issues and a midwife suggested a dummy. I am still a ' prefer' if it is just to settle when going to sleep or need it...but I do go along with parents. After one, when sounds and communication is starting I automatically pop a dummy in a pot and have it as a nap time routine only, if I can, and all my parents have been behind me...almost helping to wean them off it. I could write about many anecdotal experiences I have when a child's link with their dummy has affected their speech and dental situation....but each child has to be approached sensitively....we all know that every child is different..therefore I do not have a dummy policy.
I don't have a policy either and do the same as most people - encourage them to only use for nap times/ have a safe pot they can access (in the book corner) so they can go to one spot to use it etc.
For my own children I didn't use dummies but both were thumb suckers to the point my dd age 10 is under an orthodontist measuring her bite closing annually to see if she needs a brace all due to the thumb sucking- can't take a thumb away like you can a dummy :-/
Very wise words Maza. you put things across so much better then me!:thumbsup:
I put dummy's on the shelf and generally only use them for naps or when a child is super upset I don't have a dummy policy though. I'll work with parents as much as possible when they are ready to be weaned off but find that the kids rarely use them here anyway.
My kids had dummy's, for far too long. My son was about 3.5 when he stopped using them. However, i didn't worry about that. My son needed them more than we knew, he has sensory issues, and we waited till he understood that he wouldn't have them anymore. My daughter was easier to wean off.
No one should ever judge someone on their parenting skills and I have a feeling that introducing a dummy policy will come across as quite judgmental x