MRS Hinch has found herself targeted by mum-shamers after sharing a video of four-year-old son Lennie with a dummy in.
The cleanfluencer took to her Instagram page to post a clip which showed her eldest two sons cuddled up in their parents’ bed watching a film.
“Christmas movie night in Mum and Dad’s bed,” she wrote over the top.
The video showed both boys enthralled in the movie, but quickly attracted criticism from trolls over Lennie’s dummy use.
“A dummy? Surely he’s too old for that?” one person wrote.
“Just be aware it can affect his teeth long term.”
Read more about Mrs Hinch
Mrs Hinch, aka Sophie Hinchcliffe, then responded to the backlash in another post on her Instagram Stories, as she asked if she could “address” the situation.
“Because I would like advice too if I’m honest,” she added.
“I really have tried everything when it comes to Lennie no longer having a dummy.
“I even tried the ‘elves’ taking them to Santa and that didn’t work.”
She admitted that the “crying” and “sleepless nights” the family have to endure when taking the dummy away is “so hard and draining”.
“Any suggestions welcome but please I would rather not have the negative judgement about it,” she sighed.
“We are all simply learning as we go, even us mums.”
Not everyone had negative things to say about Mrs Hinch’s post though, as one wrote: “Makes me feel so much better seeing Lennie with a dummy.
“My boy is the same age and I’m having a nightmare getting it off him.”
According to the NHS, parents should try and wean their babies off the dummy when they are between six months and a year old.
Longer term usage of a dummy can affect children’s speech, due to changes in tongue movements and the development of the teeth.
This can then lead to how sounds such as ‘t’ and ‘d’ are made, as the tongue is pushed to the back and they sound more like a ‘k’ or a ‘g’.
Tips and tricks to help you wean your child off the dummy
THE thought of getting your child off the dummy can be daunting – especially if they’re particularly attached to it.
But there are some ideas that other parents have found to be helpful.
- Give the dummy to Father Christmas, if it’s the right time of year, or a dummy fairy. The dummy is then ‘taken’ to babies who need it, and a present is left for the child in return
- Swap a dummy for a reward, such as a sticker or healthy, delicious snack
- When your child asks for a dummy, try giving them a comfort blanket or a toy, or even try reading them a story to distract them
- Praise your ‘grown up’ child for being mature enough to throw the dummy in the bin
- If you have a friend who has recently had a baby, encourage your child to give their dummies to this tot
But most of all – once you’ve removed the dummy, do not be tempted to give it back.
It’s important to be consistent, so throwing all the dummies away is a good idea, as it removes the temptation to hand the dummy back if your child is struggling without it.
Many parents find that after a few unsettled nights, their child forgets about the dummy and stops asking for it.
The dummy may also lead to them getting a gap between their front teeth, which will make it hard for them to properly pronounce the letters ‘s’ and ‘z’.
They may also get a gap between their front teeth which will particularly affect sounds such as ‘s’ and ‘z’.
There’s various advice for helping wean kids off dummies – quickly or over a longer period of time – such as using stickers as rewards or replacing it with a favourite soft toy.
Some parents have also found success with the “dummy fairy”, who takes the pacifiers away to give to other babies and responds by leaving the child a present.
