When I was told about the new attraction on the Gurten, my eyebrows shifted towards the sky. The emoij with the raised eyebrows, looking up with thumb and index finger on the chin would perfectly reflect my facial expression (🤔)What the hell is a nuggi tree and who needs such a thing? After my supervisor's detailed explanation, I could visually picture this infamous tree full of pacifiers, but the question remained: who needs a tree to break a habit? Even though Netflix would argue against it, I maintain that I have neither an addictive behavior nor any other dependency. But what does addiction have to do with a nuggi tree now?

 

A pacifier tree is used to make it easier to wean a toddler off a pacifier. [...] The idea is that the child combines the otherwise rather problematic separation from the pacifier with a positive experience, since it can visit the pacifier tree at any time and in this way also be introduced to nature. It sees that other children have also given up their pacifier.

(Source: Wikipedia )

 

Frankly admitted, I was critical. As an independent person, without children in the immediate environment, such a big fuss about a Nuggi is irrational. Why does a child need a ritual for "de-soothering"? Why is it so difficult to say goodbye to plastic?

 

The innate sucking reflex is responsible for this. This is strongly developed in the first months of life. Sucking, swallowing and breathing: these reflexes ensure survival. Over time, this need regresses as we adjust our food intake and what remains is simply a (bad) habit, the "nuggelä".

 

And as we adults know the power of habits: We (almost) can't break them. The difficult parting does not necessarily concern the object, rather it is the habitual pitfalls. Unlike the Nuggi tree, I, as a rational adult with vices, am of course fully sympathetic to bad habits. Imagine the forest if we could just hang our adult vices from a tree: Spruce full of dirty cups, Shrub of broken promises, Fir of "finger neguchnübles", Bush of cigarettes and alcohol, Ostrich of bad posture, Birch of being late, Oak of unanswered messages, etc.

Many thanks to the artist:

 

The versli by Lorenz Pauli and the visualization by Martina Friedli.

Bad habits influence our everyday life and usually have a negative impact on our health. This is also the case with this silicone teat: the pacifier, as well as the "Dümele", leads to malocclusions of the teeth. This results in the so-called open-sucking bite and malocclusions of the permanent teeth. Therefore, the faithful companion Nuggi should be gone at the latest until the third year of life.

 

During the research and discussions with parents, heartwarming ideas have come together to help give up the nuggi:

 

Baby bunnies: to help baby bunnies sleep, you need a nukkel. The (Easter) bunny relies on the human children to hand in the nuggis. In exchange for an Easter nuggi, the bunny will take the nukkles for his little bunnies.

 

Samichlous: The version with Santa Claus is also suitable for bartering. In return for the Nuggiabgabe there is a boot filled with sweets.

 

Nuggifee: At night, the Nuggifee comes to collect the Nuggi and pass it on to another, smaller child who doesn't have one. In return, the fairy puts a surprise on the night table.

 

Nuggi bed: The Nuggi is tired from the long use and needs a place to retreat. A self-made bed with a blanket and pillow for the silicone lollipop can keep the nuggi away from the mouth.

 

Give it away: If there is a newborn in the circle of acquaintances, the child can pass the pacifier on to the baby who needs it more urgently. This (symbolic) passing on helps with saying goodbye, as the beloved nuggi is now in good hands.

 

Shipping: The nuggi is sent in a parcel to a "secret address" or to the address of the grandparents or the godparent. A replacement such as a Nuscheli is then returned anonymously.

 

Nuggi tree: The Nuggi is hung on a designated tree. During this process, a story is told to the child.

On the Gurten, the highest Nuggibaum in Bern was inaugurated on March 26. The location is no coincidence: because the man in the moon, who has to fetch his nuggis back from earth, is already old and has wished not to have to go all the way to the city. The Bernese story writer Lorenz Pauli has written a wonderful story about this, which can be told to the children during the "de-nulling ceremony".