Dummies

Dinkies with sugary drinks are extremely bad for children's teeth.

I'm as puzzled as you majorcagirl - even 'celebrities' leave the dummies in for photos. I never used one and neither does my daughter for her son - we were told back in the seventies that putting a dummy in a baby's mouth was like putting a cushion over the face of someone trying to tell you something - cutting off their only means of communication. Rather dramatic but I was a very young mum and took it literally.

My DD had a dummy when she was a toddler. She never had it outside and carried it in a pocket in her pinafore.Moving on 30 years or so GD1 was also not allowed a dummy when out. I remember when she was just over 2, , we were walking around the shops, when we saw a little boy with his dummy firmly in his mouth. GD asked DiL if she could ask him for a go . We did smile
On another tack. We had a little lad at school who had a dreadful speech impediment. Even in the Juniors he would come to the classroom door with his dummy in his mouth. He would give it to his mum as he stepped through the door. At home time it was immediately back in place. He spoke mostly with it in his mouth
I think the Americans call them soothers . That is what they should be. Let them sooth and then remove.

I never bought a dummy for any of my 5, one day in town we bumped into my sister-in-law with her 2, the oldest was 4, nearly 5, and had a dummy in her mouth. One of mine, aged 3, shouted out "What`s she got that stuck in her mouth for?" I regularly see small children in school uniform sucking on a dummy, it looks horrible.

Neither my children nor grandchildren ever had dummies . I too often see older children with them stuck in their mouth . They talk with them kind of wobbling about . Maybe just to try and shut them up

I have an awful feeling that I let DD have a dummy in her mouth all the time. DS refused to have one but always sucked his thumb, which distorted his teeth for a long time. I was much stricter with the GSs, seeing no reason why they should need dummies while they were playing or going out doing something interesting. They were perfectly happy just having them for sleeping.

I never used dummies for mine but DiL does so I don't say anything.When all the grandchildren are at our house it is useful for the two year old because it means he does not put any small bits of toys in his mouth.However I notice that they haven't used a dummy with the youngest who is a very placid baby.

The Lullaby Trust (which sponsors research into cot death and supports bereaved parents) has found that use of dummy/pacifiers reduce slightly the incidence of cot deaths.

However Cherrytree is right about ‘dinkies’.

Lullaby Trust fact sheet Dummies

I'm not usually so judgemental but really cannot stand to see beautiful babies and toddlers with dummies stuck in their mouths. None of my friends who had their babies like me in the early 70s used a dummy, indoors or out and about. Our DMs and MsIL would have been horrified if we had. But more and more nowadays I seem to see babies, beautifully dressed and well cared for, but sporting an enormous brightly coloured dummy like a fashion accessory. I have to fight the desire to unplug them and throw them away.

My eldest son hd a Dinkie, but it only ever contained water . I used to tuck it in the corner of his cot and if he woke, he would scrabble around, find it, have a little sip, then throw it on the floor. He is a big strong 50 something now, with not a filling in sight. DD used to suck her thumb and twiddle a blanket corner. DS2 had a dummy, but we gave it to a little boy who didn't have one when he was 2.

It was quite openly commented on if a child had a dummy beyond their baby years when my daughter was small.
I suppose everyone is a bit more... um... accepting.. nowadays?

I had one of those, in the 50’s , called a “dormal” I think.
All of my children had a dummy, probably went out with one in their mouths on many occasions. They were happy and content and gave them up when they were ready, about 3 years old, no speech impediment. I used to feel like a failed mother when people commented on them, also when I bottle fed instead of breast feeding.
Mums don’t really need to feel bad about something like a dummy,
On the other hand I sucked my thumb and couldn’t get out of the habit til I was 16 and had to wear a brace as a teenage to try and correct the distortion.
Dummies are a godsend to many babies and toddlers, they can learn to self soothe with one just like a comfort blanket/toy etc helps.

DS2 had a dummy, but we gave it to a little boy who didn't have one when he was 2.
DD had one just to soothe her off to sleep but never walked round with it in her mouth - she gave it to the fairies' babies when she was 2.

my 12 week premature son had dummies..on the advice of the SCBU it keeps their airways open,try not to be so judgemental about how OTHER people raise their children.It doesn't affect you at all.My son didn't have any issues with either his speech or his teeth even though he was almost three before we managed to take the dummy off him .He has never had a filling even at 30 years old

Exactly Paddyann. I think my post about dummies and SIDS has completely bypassed most on this thread. There are advantages to using them and you have just given us another prime example.

Surely it’s personal choice? Ours had a dummy for sleep, gave up naturally before they were 2. Our grandchildren either sucked their thumb or a soft toy. Seemed harder for them to give up. As I said, personal choice.

Quite agree Paddyann each situation is different. I must admit though I had problems weaning my daughter off her dummy, my sister in law finally did it for me.

None of mine had dummies but - one sucked a bit of rag and the other her fingers. Those habits were much more difficult to break than a dummy would have been. You can leave a dummy out for the fairies or Father Christmas and away it goes as if by magic. I managed to break the cloth sucking habit by reading a book called Daniel stops sucking his thumb, lent to me by the dentist when the cloth sucker was three.
Let's leave this generation to parent their children without putting our Judgey pants on unnecessarily

Does it matter, if the baby is content

Dummies do look ugly, especially the huge ones they have now, but I agree with Anniebach. It doesn’t matter if the child is happy. They will grow out of it.

Exactly.It does not matter what it looks like to outsiders.
Much more important is when you see toddlers running free without being attached by reins which seem to be out of fashion these days.

My two both had dummies - don't remember when the eldest gave his up but the youngest used to slip his inside his bottom lip - these were in the days when they were normal sized not the huge things they have now. I'm sure I took them out with them too. I do remember the small dinkies but don't think I used them - even back then (early 70's) we were told not to put juice in them as it was bad for their teeth. I don't remember my GD's having them but my two grandsons both have the cloth comforters (both raggy and smelly so their mum has to sneak them away and wash and dry them quickly!). The little one (2) still has a bottle of milk when he goes to bed but it has some kind of contraption in it that reduces the flow. I didn't have a dummy - were they around in the 50's? I did used to suck my blanket in bed though and also my teddies paw - still have him complete with his raggy hand - don't suck it any more though!

Oldmeg and Paddyann I have learnt a lot from this thread. Things of which I was completely unaware, coming from an anti dummy family and circle.

I attracted a lot of 'Tut Tutting' when I used reins for my 3yo DD1 and niece, (whom I child minded), clipped to DD2's pram. This was the only way I could safely manage taking all three to the shops, park, playgroup or clinic.

I expect I will still grue at seeing bonnie babies effectively gagged but now recognise this attitude is a PREJUDICE thanks to the information gleaned from this thread. Mea Culpa.