Key topics
Dummies
2 Mar 2012
Dummies offer a soothing and comforting transformation to wane babies off breast feeding as well as learn to fall asleep themselves. Often, however, getting them to wane off the dummy can be a difficult task. Inspire the child to become more interested in other various activites besides the dummy.
Advice and information on dummies
- Dummies - a general information page about the advantages and disadvantages of dummies.
- Use of dummies - speech and language therapy advice and guidance from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust
- The dos and don'ts of dummies - An extract from a handout created by Brighton & Hove Sure Start. Copyright South Downs Health NHS Trust.
- The Last Noo-noo - The Last Noo-noo, by Jill Murphy (Walker Books, paperback 2003). This picture book was the winner of the 1995 Smarties Book prize in the 0-5 category. It features Marlon the monster who loves his dummies (his noo-noos) and struggles to give them up. He succeeds in the end and also manages to grow a noo-noo tree.
- Give the dummy a miss - Give the Dummy a Miss is the name of the advice leaflet produced by Sure Start Beaumont Leys and Stocking Farm, Leicester. It highlights the advantages of reducing/eliminating dummy use, and goes with a cartoon story book about a child who gives up his dummy, called Danny and his Dummy. The leaflets and books are available to order on 0116 295 4550.
Useful information about dummies for professionals
- The Pros and Cons of Dummies: What a speech pathologist should know
Highlights from Dr Elise Baker's article from Acquiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing (Volume 4, Number 3, 2002) - The good, the bad and the pacifier - unsettling accounts of early years practice (abstract of article from Journal of Early Childhood Research)
- Use of dummies condemned for breast-fed babies - results of a research review (2 June 2006)
Tips and tricks to ditching the dummy.
- Parent Forum - "I need a foolproof way to persuade my stubborn daughter, 4, to give up her dummy." (The Times, 24 May 2004)
- Weaning your baby off the dummy - An extract from "Who's the dummy?", Mother & Baby, December 2003 pp. 176-177
Early Language Development - is it getting better or worse?
Click here for further reading, articles and resources on early language development.
