Stopping use of a dummy and/or bottle

• Most children use their dummy as a comforter, so reducing the amount a dummy is used over the day is a good way to start the transition.
• Try to use a dummy as little as possible. When your child is speaking, ensure to remove their dummy to give them a chance to speak clearly and this will improve their speech and language development.
• Give your child plenty of comfort and distractions as you remove the dummy. Help them learn new ways to soothe themselves, such as using a favourite blanket or toy instead of the dummy.
• Point out older girls and boys who don't use dummies to your child. Pre-schoolers love being more grown-up.
• Encourage your child to give all their dummies away to a person who is important to them, such as a grandparent or nursery key worker.
• Reward your child with fun activities, stickers or bubbles, but don't give them sweets instead of their dummy.
• Reading story books or making up a story about children that give away their dummy can help.
• Exchange the dummy or bottle for a toy or activity or new toothbrush.
• Try sending the dummy away to Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy or the Dummy Fairy.
• If your child attends a nursery, childcare or pre-school, get the staff on board with supporting the transition away from using a dummy.

This step by step guide is a guide to help your child be dummy free. For these steps to be effective all parents and carers (including childcare settings) should follow the same steps so the message is consistent and the child is not confused.

Step 1: If your child always wants the dummy.

• Do: Remove it when it is not needed and distract them with activities, offer other comforts (cuddles, toys), praise and encourage them when they are not using it, even for 1 minute, take the dummy out when child is babbling or talking.
• Don’t: Offer the dummy automatically or as a reward or use a bottle as a replacement

Step 2: When your child only wants it when they are upset.

• Do: Try cuddles and distraction first, remove the dummy when they are calm.
• Don’t: Give the dummy automatically.

Step 3: If your child uses it only when they are unwell or upset.

• Do: Offer other comfort options, take the dummy away once they are settled.
• Don’t: Offer the dummy or leave it in when they are calm.

Step 4: If your child removes their dummy when they are calm.

• Do: Praise them, especially in front of other, let them put the dummy in a special place (out of sight and reach).
• Don’t: Offer the dummy or threaten to throw it away.

Step 5: When your child only uses their dummy at home.

• Do: Praise times without the dummy, keep it out of sight and reach, set clear rules and stick to them.
• Don’t: Offer the dummy out of habit or change the rules you have set.

Step 6: If your child asks for their dummy if they see it, but doesn't ask when it is out of sight.

• Do: Keep the dummy out of sight, continue praise and other forms of comfort, distract them with other activities if they ask for their dummy, if you give them the dummy remember to remove it when they are calm.
• Don’t: Offer the dummy if the child doesn't ask for it.

Step 7: If your child uses the dummy only for naps.

• Do: Keep the dummy in the bedroom (if possible), try to remove the dummy once they are asleep.
• Don’t: Offer the dummy at other times and if your child does not ask for it.

Step 8: When your child only wants their dummy at bedtime.

• Do: Keep it in the bedroom but out of sight, remove the dummy when they are asleep, praise them for not using the dummy during the day.
• Don’t: Offer the dummy if they do not ask for it.

Step 9: If your child doesn't ask for the dummy anymore.

• Do: Keep up other ways of giving comfort.
• Don’t: Mention or offer the dummy.

Step 10: Dummy free!

• Celebrate - let your child decide what to do with their dummy. Some ideas could be to send off the dummy to the tooth fairy or swap their dummy for a new book, toy or toothbrush.

• Like dummies, the teat on a bottle can be damaging for the position and health of children’s teeth.
• While a bottle may provide comfort, replacing with something else for comfort or as a distraction can ease the transition.
• Encourage your child that using a cup is what more grown-up children do.
• Finding a non-valve, free-flow cup in their favourite colour may help them swap, you could add stickers of their favourite character too.
• Serve milk and water using a free-flow beaker/ cup, this will protect their teeth.
• Avoid any cups or beakers that require sucking to obtain the drink as this can also expose teeth to liquid pooling around teeth, allowing bacteria to produce acid that dissolves tooth enamel.
• Give lots of cuddles and love when your child is giving up their bottles, this can be a big step, and they may need a little more comfort and reassurance.

Step by step guide to moving away from using a bottle:

• Start thinking about the transition when your child is around 6 months as you begin introducing solid foods.
• Try and see if your baby is ready for a non-valve, free-flow cup, you will usually have to help them learn how to use this to start with.
• Try to start replacing one bottle feed a day with a free-flow cup.
• Once the first feed is replaced with a cup and going well, start swapping to the free-flow cup for other milk feeds and drinks of water.
• Actively encourage them to say goodbye to their bottle.
• Give lots of praise when they are using their free-flow cup.