AnonyMouse_12969 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Hi I have just been to a network meeting on inclusion development programme supporting children with speech, language and communication needs. there was mention of a dummy policy i wondered as anyone got one in their setting!!! thanks
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 We allow them, as comforters, but I really dislike them. My feelings are that as soon as children are speaking then they severely impede speech development. It's my belief that children learn to talk with this great plug in their mouth, and this means that they don't learn the correct way to move their tongue about to create the correct sounds.
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 agree with cait... we could always spot those who had dummy outside instantly by the way they talked and used their tongue in speech.......... we even had one who persisted in giving one to the child when speech therapist had told her reason for poor speech was the dummy.......mum would not believe us so felt a referral may help.... not really... child was very happy without in setting and when Grandparents came who did not supply one. we did not have a policy, but always told parents we would ask child to put away in a safe place on arrival and return it to parent when they left...in our case we had a named sealed plastic box fro each one, which children soon learnt use to store it, and cannot remember ever having a child ask for it when with us. Perhaps a policy is no bad thing to set the 'rules' but it must be adjustable to children's needs as sometimes it may be of benefit. Inge
AnonyMouse_12969 Posted March 9, 2009 Author Posted March 9, 2009 i totally agree Cait, we put them to one side as soon as we can. it just confused me when another policy was mentioned
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 I was shocked just this last week actually when I was looking back at photos I'd taken of the children outdoors. Slap bang in the middle of the frame was one of our 4 year olds with a great dummy in her mouth! Must have been in her coat pocket! It really doesn't look nice at all. I understand that health visitors and midwives are actively promoting them as a help against cot death!
AnonyMouse_12969 Posted March 9, 2009 Author Posted March 9, 2009 there is a good practitioners note on page 20 of the national stratagies The Inclusion Development Programme. i think i will have to adapt this and include it somewhere !!
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Can you post the note so we don't have to trawl through to find it?
AnonyMouse_12969 Posted March 9, 2009 Author Posted March 9, 2009 will have a go not that cleaver so bear with me
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Again, I agree with Cait - we do allow us a comforter - but for a very short amount of time and then put safely in child's bag. Have been 'shocked and horrified' though at seeing one of our 4.5 year olds being pushed around our village in a buggy with a dummy in his mouth - he looked so sad too. And of course the 'speech thing' is just such an important issue here. Sunnyday
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 I take children from 2 1/2 and we just don't allow them. We tell parents that they need to prepare children before they start that we don't have them and have never had a parent kick up a fuss, nor have the children. Same with potties just don't do them and it's amazing what parents can do when they have to, like preparing them to use a toilet. Maybe I'm hard but parents are to soft on their kids these days, especially when you see children going to school with dummies in their mouths. Mostly its what parents need to make the push into getting rid of the dummies. Sorry showing my age!!!!!!!!!
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Unfortunately equality of opportunity states that we can't really refuse to take a child on these grounds. Inclusion is about accepting the child 'warts and all'. I do agree that parents can be soft on their children, and sometimes need a 'push' in the right direction. But I also accept that I would rather have a child with a dummy for a couple of minutes at the start of a session rather than howl for the first hour. My own children didn't have dummies and I have some very strong personal opinions about them, but I would never push my own views onto a parent. I'm happy to chat about methods of getting rid of them with parents, but they have to want to do it too - or it's a waste of time.
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 My son had a dummy and I do see a place for them... but he learnt from a very early age if he wanted it he had to go to bed! Hence he used it nil during the day and we had a much happier night time with him. At least he was quiet, when not asleep! I really did not need the constant 4 am wake up call... which he never grew out of, we just learnt to manage it.. I can honestly say he NEVER slept though a night , not at all, he has always woken during the night, which had become very handy for his shift work! One reason for us using them was I really did not want a 10 year old who would suck their thumb.. or even older.. i had a school friend who still sucked his thumb at 10 and another who sucked hers at 18! Usually when distracted as it was a habit... I have seen adults do this too when engrossed ! Now I do see parents who allow it all the time and I feel it is often to keep the peace and a habit. I do feel a bit sad for these children as it does tend to affect their speech development, and by the time it is 'lost' habits in speech have been formed which are hard to change. Inge
AnonyMouse_2157 Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 we have a leaflet provided by our speech and language therapist re the dos and donts of dummies. i will retype it (I dont have the electronic copy at the moment) and post it here for anyone that is interested. On a personal note like Inge they ahve there place- at night and only for a short time while they are very young, but as soon as they start to speak it's a big no no ( or should that be noo noo - if you know the jill murphy book) Anyway, I'm off to bed with my teddy and my blanket
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Sorry guys, have to disagree. I found them a Godsend. Both my children had them until they were 3 (though not all the time, just as a comforter). No speech problems and no repercussions in any way. And I wouldn't exclude a child from playschool, who has a dummy for a comforter, in much the same way as a child who sucks their thumb.
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 before i took over at my setting dummies were not allowed at all due to the supervisor having her own issues with them and although i don't see the need for a child of 2 1/2 plus having a dependency for a dummy i don't ban them but encourage the child as soon as they are settled the dummy goes in a cup on the table and stays there untill the end of session, this has worked so far with all the children that have come in with a dummy and we have found that within a couple of weeks the dummy dosen't even make it into the setting, as Cait said inclusion needs to be considered and finding a way around it by not banning but helping to break the habit when at pre school can, i believe be a good learning process for parent and child!
Guest Posted March 10, 2009 Posted March 10, 2009 I agree... I have had one child who had a dummy (night time only gave it up at 3) and one who sucks 2 fingers (wouldnt take dummy....now 5 and cant give fingers up!)...know which one I prefer cos at least it goes in the bin! We have a ittle one that turns up with dummy and an older one with a blanket. they both give them up as soon as asked and they stay on the desk until home time. When both become upset they never request them either!
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 10, 2009 Posted March 10, 2009 My son sucked his thumb - but he was doing it in utero when I went for my second scan! He stopped sucking it when he went to school - only really did it at night anyway
Guest Posted March 10, 2009 Posted March 10, 2009 You need to tread carefully here as you have to be inclusive not using potties or dummies as much as you may not like them is not being inclusive
Guest Posted March 10, 2009 Posted March 10, 2009 Sorry guys, have to disagree. I found them a Godsend. Both my children had them until they were 3 (though not all the time, just as a comforter). No speech problems and no repercussions in any way. And I wouldn't exclude a child from playschool, who has a dummy for a comforter, in much the same way as a child who sucks their thumb. Dummies like all the lovely things are OK in moderation - and I would not say no but help the child to see when was a good time to use them - also parents who persist in pushing them into a childs mouth all the time or even worse left on a string attached to the jumper or blanket by a pin ugh, would be givne gentle advice on how and when - having said all that both my girls sucked their thumbs and I am so glad that their nursery teacher didn't suggest amputation!!! We all have things that we do when stressed as we get older we come to realise that some things are best done in private - thats Personal, Social and Emotional development Of course I'm not going to say what mine is but needless to say its a great comforter!!!
Guest Posted March 10, 2009 Posted March 10, 2009 I am also not for dummies. I don't think you can equate it to not excluding a child who is not potty trained (all children need to toilet but not all have dummies). I have bourn witness to so many children whose speech has been so poorly affected by them. I'm not a fan of dummies, none of my three children had them, but I would not write them off at night or as a comforter and accept for some they may be a godsend. I just think that a 3 year old should be able to ask for and/or receive comfort they need through physical/verbal stuff. We do not have a dummy policy and although we take children from 2 years 6 months have never had a need for one either!
Guest Posted March 10, 2009 Posted March 10, 2009 I dont like dummies but who am i to critise parents who do we have a duty of care to both the child and their development working with parents to help explain the problems they can cause and help find a solution to wean a dummy from the child would be much better for helping the child settle and ease parents minds I have a child who only drinks from a fruit shoot bottle but i dont stop him from using it he needs to drink far better we sit him with other children show him a cup and let him drink from the bottle we will get there eventually
AnonyMouse_12805 Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Dummies, love 'em or hate 'em! Actually I have no strong feelings either way, I have four children of whom only one had a dummy, 2 didn't need them and the 3rd refused it but ended up wrecking his teeth and having years of dental treatment becuase he sucked his first two fingers. Anyway I digress, as I said in the home I have n feelings either way, some may them some may not but as we dont take children until 2 yrs 9mths and for only 3 hours , I feel as OP does that a child of this age can have other forms of comfort. For so many children anyway dummies are used as habit. For health and safety resaons I wouldn't allow a child to enter with a dummy in it's mouth. Dont allow them to come in eating or with toys or other objects sticking out of their mouths either. Saying to a parent 'I'm sorry they cannot have a dummy in their mouths whilst at pre-school' is vastly different to saying' sorry they cannot come if wearing nappies' or even using a potty. We dont have a dummy policy and in 15 years have only been asked a couple of times about dummies. Had a couple of children keep them in their pockets as well.
Guest Posted March 15, 2009 Posted March 15, 2009 my dummy leaflet i give to parents Why_do_we_give_our_babies_a_dummy.doc
Guest Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 i am not opposed to dummies totally, as stated earlier i f it helps achild to settle initially , thats much more preferable to the screaming abdabs for the first hour!!! we have a dummy tree (just a few mug holders jazzed up!!!) that children hang their dummies on when not needed, every time they put them back on the tree they get a sticker. a simple idea but works well.
AnonyMouse_14602 Posted July 13, 2009 Posted July 13, 2009 Can anyone help me please. I think I am now at the end of term brain-dead stage. At the end of the IDP Training on Speech and Language, I was told we should have a written policy on dummies. I am struggling with what to put in this as you cannot say the children can't bring them in and don't want to offend parents etc. If anyone has a written Dummy Policy, would they be willing to share it with me please. Thank you.
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted July 13, 2009 Posted July 13, 2009 well - they shouldn't be using a dummy in waking hours at two and a half surely?
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