It has been perceived that youngsters are flexible to change and adapt to a new environment. Well, only the old folks will follow the routine to perform the same chores everyday. For kids, they will abandon their monumental lifestyle by the age of four. But then again, it is not easy to persuade a four-year-old child to give up their pacifier and move from the crib to a spacious bed. Some may have gone off to preschool while there are others still hugging their booster seating comfortably in specific car seats unwilling to budge. Nevertheless, these young and innocent kids are masters of adaptation and willing to change to complete the metamorphosis from little baby to a kid.
The first transition that most parents notice is usually switching from bottles to cup. This is a big move because the practice helps to reduce the incidence of cavities caused by sucking bottles all the time. Besides that, it also helps in dental alignment. Of course, it is never easy to convince your child to say goodbye to the bottle. But if you intend to start early, always let your child to play with one cup filled with water from the time he/she can grab hold of objects. Even though the cup may fall on the floor, but the chances of the baby putting in his mouth and taking a sip is high. This is to allow the cup to become his/her companion and to ensure it is available during mealtimes. As time goes by, start to replace the bottle with the cup during feeding times. Experts suggested parents to substitute the bottle with a cup during each feeding time because the transition can be completed easily within a month.
After substituting the bottle with cup, it is time for a harder task â€“ convince your child to give up his/her beloved pacifier. Sucking pacifier can help to calm the children. Those without pacifier tend to resort to thumb sucking. This self-soothing technique is one of the toughest behaviors to change. Some suggested reducing the nipple size by allowing them to snip a little every week. Persuading a child to give up sucking pacifier is almost like convincing an adult to quit smoking. Asking kids to let go off the pacifier is as difficult as convincing them to switch from the comfortable crib to spacious bed. Incorporate the idea of sleeping on spacious bed and start it slow. Talk the kids to nap on bed at least once a week and increase the frequency once the kids gets used to the idea.