Do you approve of dummies?

Love them or hate them, parents have used dummies, pacifiers, comforters, or soothers for centuries.

As the names suggest, parents use them to calm and settle babies and, sometimes, toddlers too.

Babies are soothed by the action of sucking. Some parents couldn’t get through the day without giving their baby a dummy, whereas other parents strongly disapprove of their use. Some may decide they definitely won’t use one, but change their mind when faced with a crying baby.

The dummy debate isn’t a new concept, in fact it’s a war between parenting styles that’s been around as long as pacifiers themselves.  Some babies naturally suck their thumb, and those who are pro dummies say that you can take a dummy away from a child, but not their thumb!

It would seem the world is split into for and against quite firmly, and the NHS advises parents to restrict use of a dummy to when it’s time to sleep. They explained: “It’s hard to learn to talk with a dummy in your mouth.”

On the NHS website, the advice reads: Thumb sucking and dummies won’t cause permanent problems as long as the habit stops by the time your child gets their second teeth, but it can be a hard habit to break.

So what is your view?  Are you pro or against the use of dummies?  Did you use them with your own children?  Do any of your grandchildren use them? At what age do you think a dummy should be stopped?