O where art thou?...O beautiful soother of mine. Here I am in my P.J’s, it’s way past my bed time, it’s quite late like six in the evening. Anyways the reason, for my deviation from my usual strict bedtime routine is that I am in search for my much beloved pacifier the one with the little teddy bears on it. Yes, people roll your eyes if you must and I might be all grown up and nearly two but HEY I NEED my soother. So the evening began as such running around with the ball outside, because one of Mummy’s medical friends said that little boys and girls should play outside, breathe the fresh air to grow, rather than sit infront of the T.V watching Dora the Explorer reruns, she always finds that clue and voids Swiper the Fox, riveting stuff. Anyways just when Big Sister was kicking the ball, of course NOT like Beckham and I was ingesting some dirt, behind Nanny’s back, Mummy dearest shouts it’s dinner. A shivering little tingle does down my spine, I wonder will it be mushy and green stuff today or mushy red stuff..which day of the week are we?. Actually dinner wasn’t too bad, French fries and some bake thing, ate the fries, threw the bake all over the kitchen wall, was feeling artistic and all that.

An exasperated mother dragged me into the bathroom for a wash, Mum you really need to let my creativity take flight, I feel it’s burgeoning on the cusp of brilliance. Severely lathered, I screamed all through out the bath since I flet the soap was a little too close to my eyes, yes Mum it hasn’t even touched my face, but I must scream bloody murder before hand incase it does happen. Happened once and thought I nearly lost an eye!!. So washed, powdered and in my smug little hand me down Strawberry shortcake onsie, yeah I know I’m going to have issues when I grow up, Mother dearest no male child should be dressed in their older sister’s hand me down, even though there’s some blue in it. So now all that finished I look forward to my soother time, comforting happy thoughts flit through me. Mum drops a bombshell, you’re all grown up she says you don’t need a soother anymore…before she could finish the sentence I scream so loud I think I heard the windows rattle. Beaten Mum quietly hand it to me, ‘Let’s solve that one another day she goes’…

Why do babies put everything in their mouths?

Babies putting things in their mouths, otherwise known as mouthing, is not only normal, but also signals a growing interest in the world around them. In the first year, children explore their surroundings through their senses -- seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and tasting. The more they explore, the more they learn. While your baby is learning to master his hand movements -- reaching, grabbing, and swatting -- he's not yet so adept at using his fingers. So when a baby grasps what he desires and wants to investigate further ("Is it soft or hard? Can I eat it? Does it make a sound?"), this often means putting it in his mouth. Mouthing helps babies learn all about different shapes and textures. They also learn what feels good and tastes good, and what doesn't -- so your child will only mouth a wool blanket once.

Why use a soother?

Love them or hate them, women have used soothers for centuries. As the names suggest, they are used to soothe and settle babies and, sometimes, toddlers too. While some moms couldn't survive the day without giving their baby a soother, others strongly disapprove of their use. The main advantage for parents is that soothers can soothe their baby or to help them settle to sleep. Sucking on a pacifier can relieve pain , which is why parents often give their baby a soother when they have colic. More recently using a soother has been linked with helping to prevent SIDS. Sucking on a soother can help some premature babies. If they are given a soother to suck on before feeds, they may transfer more quickly from tube to bottle-feeding, and feed more effectively from a bottle Using a soother can also result in shorter hospital stays for premature infants.Premature babies who are given a soother before feeds may calm and settle better during and after feeds.

By Mayuri Jayasinghe